Hired to find a missing boy in Doraville, North Carolina, Harper Connelly and her step brother Tolliver discover that the boy is only one of several who have disappeared over the previous five years. Harper soon finds eight victims, buried in the half-frozen ground. All have come to unspeakable ends. What she most wants to do is collect her fee and get out of town ahead of the media storm. But when she's attacked and prevented from leaving, she reluctantly becomes a part of the investigation and learns more than she cares about the dark mysteries and hidden secrets of Doraville.