It's 1972 and Minnesota Sheriff Jake Meyer has spent a lifetime keeping peace in his hometown of Cold Water. But after thirty years as sheriff, his biggest challenge still lies ahead. The brutal murder of a young, Catholic nun shocks the closely-knit community and propels Jake into action. A subsequent break-in at a neighboring convent whips the town into even more of a frenzy as the public fears a serial killer is on the loose. With the Catholic hierarchy breathing down his neck to arrest an unlikely suspect, Jake ignores their pressures and tracks down the real murderer in their midst.