After inheriting his late granduncle's massive fortune in the town of Strange Ways, Jake agrees to covertly carry out his granduncle's mission to investigate the "strange" events that have been happening there for centuries. This new mystery begins when twenty seemingly random Strange Ways citizens suddenly vanish into thin air, including the town mayor and Porsche's mother, Bambi. Dubbed "The Strange Ways Twenty," they reappear as suddenly with no recollection of where they had gone. Soon after, odd events plague the town. Students are attacked by something with skin like a jellyfish, a man is killed after he mysteriously implodes for no apparent reason, and the Strange Ways Chief of Police is killed by some sort of wild animal of unknown origin. Jake, with the help of his friends, Porsche and Cloud, work to get to the bottom of this mystery, which leads them to discover a bitter rivalry between a clan of shape shifters and the Disciples of Shantytown who believe they are the world's chosen saviors. Jake's investigations lead him to a well-known rock formation dubbed "The Whale Rock," which may or may not be what it seems, and he discovers something about himself that rocks him to the core and will forever change his life.