The sudden death of a young woman attending Parkville United Methodist Church infuriates her brother and leads to congregational outrage over his outburst and subsequent murder. The investigation of that slaying by Pastor Arthur Blake and his associates leads to revelations of a previously undetected international criminal organization operating in the area. Unraveling the mystery and scope of this group entangle Arthur, his consulting investigator friends, plus local police and federal agents in a web of conspiracies extending from Illinois to both U.S. coasts and through Mexico to Guatemala. Severe family and interpersonal relationship problems are faced and resolved by members of the investigative team as they pursue the background and consequences of one quiet woman's efforts to change things happening around her.