In this second book in the Clayton Leonard mystery series we find Clayton's mother, Hattie, safely tucked away at the Michigan Asylum for Insane Colony Farm where she is looking forward to tending the vegetable gardens. Unfortunately, it may not be as safe as expected as Hattie soon discovers one of her housemates hanging from a tree on the grounds. Suicide is the verdict, but murder is Hattie's suspicion. With little sympathy from the Asylum's staff, she attempts to engage her son, Clayton, in an investigation, but he has little time for such flights of fancy. Clayton has been hired to go undercover in a local cigar factory to find out what the workers may have planned to coincide with an upcoming May Day event. Famed workers' rights advocate and anarchist, Lucy Parsons, is coming to town to give a speech and Kalamazoo's factory owners are certain their restless employees are going to use the celebration as a way to make their voices heard. A city-wide strike is feared. Before long, Clayton's investigation becomes entwined with his crazy mother's outlandish theories and he is soon forced to admit that his mother may not have lost all her marbles as of yet. As the bodies pile up, Clayton must work quickly to solve the case before the killer strikes again and closer to home.