The Hatteras Caper intertwines the beauty of the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the adventures of a self-made humanitarian. As Ray Leggett of Bear Grass, North Carolina, struggles with the stress of a pregnancy with his fiance, Stacey, things go wrong with his life. He fails to make the East Carolina University golf team, flunks out of college, and finally joins the Marine Corps. He is sent to Vietnam, but he returns injured. Seeking peace, Ray goes to Canada in search of a golf team buddy only to find a dismal scenario. To return to North Carolina, Ray becomes a crewman on a yacht sailing south. His life is changed forever when he absconds with a cache of money, which he finds onboard the yacht. On Cape Hatteras, Ray becomes a newspaper reporter, gravedigger, and a body hauler as he carefully manages his fortune. Several romances and a health scare later, he invests in a bankrupt golf course. Stacey had married another man, but is now a widow and finds Ray on Hatteras. After their love is rekindled, an intriguing secret about the money is revealed.