Cole Grayson knew life would be different when he left the FBI in Washington, DC, to run for sheriff of Courtland County in rural Southwest Virginia. He, teenage daughter Mandy, and adolescent son Buddy needed a fresh start away from memories of his late wife, their mother. Cole quickly discovers that keeping the peace will not be easy. There's a crystal meth operation poisoning the town, a long-running family feud about to reach the boiling point, and a string of random murders pointing to the hand of a serial killer. Cole must draw on resources he never knew he had if law and order is to be restored. Newspaper editor Connie Balfour becomes much more to him than an ally as Cole struggles to deal with these problems, and he discovers that he and his family have been given one more chance for happiness.