In October, 1997 Davina Reed, a former flower child of the 1960's is in her Illinois backyard engaged in her Tai Chi routine when she receives a call on her cell phone from Keith Thorne, an unsavory acquaintance of her brother, Jed. Thorne says he's worried because Jed won't answer the door. After a night of drinking at Froggy's Bar and Grill, they had planned to go fishing. He says Davina should bring the extra door key he knows she has, so they can go inside and check on Jed. Thorne doesn't want to involve the police because he's on probation. Something sounds off kilter but Davina decides to hurry to check on her brother. Thorne says he will meet her at Jed's secluded house in the nearby town of Paxtonia but when Davina arrives, Thorne's not on the scene. From outside Davina looks up and notices an upstairs window is without a screen and wide open. She goes inside and on the floor of the upstairs bathroom adjoining the bedroom she finds the body of her brother. His hands are in a death clasp around the shaft of an arrow protruding from his chest. Despite depression, alcoholism and marital problems, Jed Davidson has been successful, and with two other scientists developed a doe birth control serum, Pro310, which had angered deer hunters on the fringe of society, and who, instigated by 'Weasel' in online chat rooms, has waged protests and picketing of companies where the scientists work. Davina doubts the small town police department is capable of finding Jed's killer, so she decides to conduct her own investigation, at the same time dealing with Chief Leo Donovan and his infatuation with Davina and her newly tinted red hair.