A mystery that is a deliciously toxic mix of environmental crime and murder. Events quickly unravel as conservation officer Clare McElroy must contend with a black bear attack on her watch. Now the feds must get involved and no-nonsense McElroy is more than a little peeved that the humans are proving harder to manage than the wildlife. Small town life is pretty predictable in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but things will never be the same when McElroy's artist brother comes to live with her and Chicago assistant DA Pheeny Delmato comes to town to investigate a murder. As the events become increasingly intertwined and beyond her control, McElroy realizes there's only one thing left for her to do.