Just a ferry ride from Seattle, Bainbridge Island is a close-knit community where Meg Gates lives with her cocker spaniel and works in her mom's bookstore. She's also writing a guide for amateur detectives—when she isn't busy being one herself . . .

Juggling jobs and classes has Meg stressed. On top of that, she's just heard from her editor, who loves the book . . . and wants to change everything about it. Her lit professor is hounding her to promote his new crime novel at the bookstore—and she's afraid if the attendance at his signing is too low, her grade will be too. Plus, her boyfriend, Dalton, has been MIA. Fortunately, Meg has a new project to keep herself busy: tracing her genealogy.

As it turns out, Dalton's been preoccupied with his own family tree. The mother who abandoned him as a child has showed up with a shocking request. Stormy Hamilton claims she has a twin sister—named Sunny—and wants Dalton to meet her. Meg picks up on some shady vibes, but she's determined to help him deal with this emotional bombshell.

Before this fraught family reunion can occur, Stormy is found dead on the ferry and Sunny disappears from the hospital where she's been a resident for decades. As the couple digs up the roots of a deadly mystery, Meg will have to keep in mind Rule #3 from her sleuthing guide: Sometimes people lie . . .