When Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Lydia Manzo becomes lost in the woods of Maine, then is found dead, it sets off a chain of events that upsets the fragile peace of Redimere, Maine. While state investigators are sure Lydia killed herself, some in Redimere are sure that she was murdered.

Could Lydia have been a victim of the dangerous fugitive who has been spotted near the trail? Or the legendary "Midnight Rambler," who some believe has been stalking and stealing from the region's camps and towns for years?

As newspaper editor Bernadette "Bernie" O'Dea tries to sort out the truth, Police Chief Pete Novotny also disappears into the woods.

Maine's western mountains are a dark wilderness that become even more menacing as Bernie tries to discover what happened to Lydia and why Pete disappeared.