When a mysterious book is unearthed from the foundation of Jake's 1823 fixer-upper, she immediately sends it off to local book historian Horace Robotham. After all, there must be a logical explanation for why the long-buried volume has her name in it--written in what looks suspiciously like blood. But all logic goes out the window when the book disappears, and Horace turns up dead. When two more victims turn up in a town better known for its scenic views and historic homes than its body count, Jake and her comrade-in-sleuthing, Ellie White, need to go on the prowl to find someone who may believe that the pages of an ancient book are the blueprint for a perfect murder.