Russ Smith

There is a serial killer living next door on a quiet lakefront street in the resort town of Frankfort, Michigan. Some of the neighbors threaten the peaceful community with changes, so one resident takes measures to keep things the way they have always been. After the first murder, which was the untended consequence of teasing the victim, the killer looks forward to repeating the excitement and thrill of the first kill when choosing the next troublesome neighbor to eliminate and then the next.

The killer helps plan the funeral for the second victim and testifies at the trial of the pastor’s wife, who is tried for the murder of the third. Can the sheriff of rural Benzie County, with the help of the state police, identify the killer and collect enough evidence to convict the killer and prevent the conviction of an innocent woman?

This killer has no need for guns or knives to kill. Lilies of the valley, hemlock, rattlesnakes, and snapping turtles are effective tools to eliminate difficult neighbors if used in the right way.