The widow Liza Romero came to Wrangell, Alaska, for solitude and a chance to reinvent herself. Now, in her old wooden halibut schooner, Salmon Eye, she ferries library books and groceries across Steamer Bay. One day her firstmate SampartLabrador partredhoundspots the body of a small nearlydrowned Tlingit boy, marooned on a rock. They rescue the boy, and take him to Wrangell only to discover the body of a very old native man. Then someone on a mist shrouded boat starts shooting at them. Liza can't shake her curiosity over the crimes, or her concern for the boy "James." She also can't shake loose the embittered local Police Lieutenant, or her knowledge of missing Tlingit artifacts. She must also deal with the drunken old man "Crow." The plot is laden with history, lore and stunning settings all adding up to an enticing mystery that only Liza can solve.