The discovery of a socialite's body in the fishing nets of a small Long Island town forces a war-weary veteran to confront the dark secrets of his insular community. Conrad Labarde, a Basque immigrant and fisherman, finds his quiet life disrupted by the arrival of an outsider deputy police chief, Tom Hollis, who suspects foul play in what appears to be an accidental death. As the two men navigate the rigid social hierarchies and long-held grudges of Amagansett, they must contend with the encroaching influence of wealthy city dwellers and the lingering trauma of the Second World War. The narrative unfolds through a measured, atmospheric lens that emphasizes the tension between the town's traditional fishing culture and the modern world.

This novel is characterized by its deliberate pacing and strong sense of place, which anchors the mystery in the specific cultural landscape of post-war Long Island. The narrative structure suggests a focus on the psychological weight of history and the friction between established locals and newcomers. Readers often note the atmospheric quality of the prose, which emphasizes the isolation and ruggedness of the fishing community. The story functions as both a crime investigation and a social study of a vanishing way of life, avoiding sensationalism in favor of character depth.