When the artist Carlo Valenti is murdered in Rockport, a small New England fishing village and art colony, Annie Quitnot, the local reference librarian, becomes the chief suspect. Annie and Carlo were lovers until five years ago, when Carlo went to Rome to join what he called "the real art world." Carlo returned recently with the nubile young Margo on his arm. Now Carlo lies dead in the morgue. Naturally, the police and the townspeople are convinced that Annie did it. Jealousy is a strong motive, and Annie has no alibi. With the support of the library's sympathetic director, Duncan Langmuir, and Annies brother Justin, who flies in to help after seeing a disheveled Annie on TV news, Annie tries to solve the murder and acquit herself. Even her friends seem to think her guilty-and can she really trust Duncan Langmuir? Justin, to Annie's chagrin, enlists the curmudgeonly Judge Bradley to help clear her. Instead, Annie keeps getting deeper into trouble.