Phil Andrade figures he has his life pretty-well dialed in. Good job. Sweet little town with all the right amenities. He hikes, bikes, and gardens. In his spare time he listens to jazz. It's all good. Sure, his closest friends are a couple of crows, but even that's okay. After all, Phil isn't much of a people person. Acquaintances are fine; the rest is baggage. Just ask his ex-girlfriend. But Phil's uncomplicated existence is about to unravel. First a problem client stiffs him for a quarter's-worth of pay. Twenty-four hours later, he's living in his van. Even as he scrambles to reassemble his life, prospects for full-time employment recede. Meanwhile, Phil finds himself drawn into a series of mysteries: a powerful old woman demonstrates an unsettling amount of knowledge regarding Phil's situation. Life takes a dark turn when the town is shocked by a brutal crime. And then there are the rats...