Cody Lind has just finished the perfect date with the most beautiful girl in town. As the seventeen-year-old slips the key into the car ignition, cold steel touches the back of his neck. "Don't look back or you'll die," says a muffled voice. "Just start it up and drive. I'll tell you where to go." Soon, the disappearance of one of Harrisville's favorite sons and the arrival of an ominous ransom note send ripples of terror throughout the small town. Now it's up to Sheriff Vince Hanks and his deputy, Peggy Smith, to unravel the mystery. But as they encounter unremitting obstacles in the investigation, they realize that no one is above suspicion. It seems Cody wasn't popular with everyone. Especially not with the five major suspects — each with his own dark motives. When one of the suspects ends up being murdered, theduo knows that Cody's kidnapper is deadly serious, and that time may be running out.