In this tense and riveting tale, a novelist and his wife uncover a vast web of sex, murder, and deceit in their quiet hometown. Robert, the down-and-out writer, saves a battered woman from certain death at the hands of a corrupt sheriff. In self-defense, Robert kills the sheriff and, in a panic, dumps the body in the lake. The battered woman reveals a sordid blackmail ring run by the mayor and the town sheriff. Suspicion surrounds Robert as he plans a hasty escape from his growing list of enemies. Vowing to tell the truth, he shoots it out with the mayor and the cops leaving a trail of bodies behind.