A celebration in a resort town turns deadly when a local murder echoes a classic novel's themes. Bea Cartwright's bed and breakfast is thriving during the Bastille Day festivities on Put-in-Bay, a popular Lake Erie resort. The local League of Literary Ladies is reading Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, a choice that becomes eerily relevant when a murder occurs, mirroring the novel's themes of revolution and terror. The elderly Defarge twins, owners of the local knitting shop and characters likened to the novel's Madame Defarge, find themselves entangled in the mystery, facing secrets that lead to murder and a killer whose reign of terror must be stopped.

The premise sets up a classic cozy mystery with a literary twist, blending a festive setting with a dark crime. The narrative appears to focus on amateur sleuths, likely the members of the League of Literary Ladies, who must unravel secrets to stop a killer. The inclusion of a knitting shop and elderly twins suggests a focus on community dynamics and perhaps a touch of humor alongside the suspense. The parallels drawn to A Tale of Two Cities indicate thematic depth exploring justice and retribution within a small-town context.