Sheriff Stanley Grace and the bewildered town of Merit become the media novelty of the week when a sensationalized story breaks about a recess war between two local "gangs" of fourth-graders. The media, celebrities, and a visiting circus descend upon them, turning the citizens, parents, and even children against one another as they look for someone to blame. When the ghost of a recently murdered actor arrives to stage his post-mortem comeback, he becomes the only link Stanley has to a bloodied police uniform discovered just outside of town. While chaos reigns in Merit, a murderer is on the loose! Now it's up to Sheriff Stanley to save his town from killers, newshounds, and circus clowns alike.