Two months after the suspicious and much-publicized death of his father on the island of Marthas Vineyard, it is taking all of Adam Blaines character to suture the deep wounds - both within his family and himself - torn open by the tragedy. Moreover, as the court inquest into Benjamin Blaines death continues, it is taking all of Adams cunning to protect those closest to him from figures who still suspect that Adams father was murdered by one of his kin. But the sternest test of all is Adams proximity to Carla Pacelli - his late fathers mistress; and a woman who, despite being pivotal to his familys plight, Adam finds himself increasingly drawn to. The closer he gets to this beautiful, mysterious woman, the further Adam feels from his troubles. Yet the closer he also comes to revealing the secrets hes strived to conceal, and condemning the people hes so hard fought to protect.