In Hillsbury, the last long weekend of summer is a golden time for the campers and cottage dwellers who flock to the waters of Cape's Side Bay. But this year, the disappearance of a local boy brings to all an early chill.

Two wardens of Hillsbury, ranger Henry Carter and deputy Bentley Trundle, set out to find the boy who has vanished without a trace. As rumors spread of a lurking evil that snatched the child, more bodies are uncovered, each bearing an odd mutilation. Eyes sewn closed, ears chopped off, mouth stitched shut . . . each thread made from a material not found on the periodic table.

The end of summer is a golden time by Cape's Side Bay, but the residents of Hillsbury soon learn that some waters are best left undisturbed, and some mysteries are better left unsolved.