A wave of racial hatred descends on idyllic Wynter Island after a Japanese Canadian memorial is vandalized, and a politician dies, pulling TV manager Kate Zöe Thomas into the dark orbit of a dangerous extremist group. While the community unravels, Kate befriends a secretive newcomer whose intense interest in the island's matriarch hints at a looming personal mystery. As Kate untangles the shocking public crime from the private secrets, she discovers the true danger lies not in new hatred, but in a past that refuses to stay buried.