At the request of a local journalist, genealogist Torie O'Shea sets out to research her Missouri hometown's two mayoral candidates: incumbent Bill Castlereagh and his challenger, Sheriff Colin Brooke, Torie's stepfather.  With the discovery of a body linked to the Chicago Mafia, Torie's research into the mayor's genealogy turns up more questions than answers.  As the case unravels, the mayor flees town and Torie makes a shocking discovery that might lead to her own demise.