Publisher's Synopsis
When Joe and Tanja Shepherd set sail on their newly renovated sailboat, they are expecting a relaxing vacation on northern California's remote Lost Coast. Little do they know that a tropical storm is headed their way, and that a killer is making alternative plans for their weekend. After a harrowing boat ride through the storm, they reach the Lost Coast Inn and Joe promptly has a run-in with a local fisherman named Jacob that almost turns violent. When it's all over, they're exhausted, cold, and soaked to the bone. Thankfully, the inn is just as beautiful, luxurious, and welcoming as they had hoped it would be. It seems the worst is over, until they learn that the owner has sold the resort and is about to lay off the entire staff. Tensions are rising as the storm hits, and it hits with a vengeance. The phone lines are down, the cell phones aren't working, and Jacob -the old fisherman who also happens to run the lighthouse- has gone missing. The next morning, the local sheriff makes an emergency helicopter trip out between storms. After a brief search, he is dismayed to find Jacob dead. Worse yet, after Joe's earlier altercation with the man, it looks like the detective might be the sheriff's only suspect. The sheriff warns the Shepherds in no uncertain terms that they are to remain at the inn until the autopsy is complete, and that they are not to even consider investigating Jacob's death. Naturally, they do just the opposite. After all, Tanja isn't about to let Joe be arrested for murder. Unfortunately, proving his innocence won't be as easy as it sounds.
