Virginia small town local Ford Sawyer, a comics artist, takes an instant liking to his new neighbor, Cilla McGowan, a former child TV starlet who moves from L.A. to renovate her Hollywood celebrity grandmother Janet's rural last residence and start a career after passing the local contractors exam. Grumpy old neighbor Carl Hennessy is suspected of the vandalism on her garden, garage and home, even knocking friendly ex Steve Chensky. Seeking comfort and security, Cilla comes to depend on Ford, who elected her as model for his next hammer-swinging Celtic comic heroin, and they fall in love. Janet's stuff yields intriguing information which proves relevant for the present aggression, with unexpected ramifications.

Matt Hunter, a former Military Intelligence man who resigned so that he could take care of his sister following his parents' death, goes to visit Larry Richards, a friend who's running for the Senate. When he arrives he learns that Larry's been receiving death threats from a group calling themselves the Pentangle. Later at the rally, someone takes a shot at Larry and hits one of Larry's sons. Matt chases the shooter and takes him out. Matt then calls his former boss to find out who Pentangle is. He learns that they're a right wing paramilitary group and that Larry once foiled one of their plans which is why they're targeting him. Matt also learns that they have an affinity for hunting men. When they try to lure Larry into a trap, Matt tags along and stops them. The group upon learning of Matt decides they would like to make him their next prey. They attack Matt's...

Lt. Dave Robicheaux, a detective in New Iberia, Louisiana, is trying to link the murder of a local hooker to New Orleans mobster Julie (Baby Feet) Balboni, who is co-producer of a Civil War film. At the same time, after Elrod Sykes, the star of the film, reports finding another corpse in the Atchafalaya Swamp near the movie set, Robicheaux starts another investigation, believing the corpse to be the remains of a black man who he saw being murdered 35 years before.