After the splashy success of her last big case, Portland, Maine, sleuth Olivia Lively struggles to manage her one-woman firm’s sudden growth spurt. When an old friend offers her a chunk of cash to investigate his wife and brother who may be having an affair, Liv reluctantly agrees in hopes of getting Lively Investigations back on track.

She heads to a cozy cabin in the northern Maine woods to investigate, thinking it will be a chance to enjoy summer while also solving her cash-flow problem. But when Liv stumbles onto the suburban wife’s dead body, she also finds surprising connections to a seedier underbelly of crime, strip clubs, steamy literature, and human trafficking.

Having failed to save one woman, Liv is determined to rescue another. Meanwhile, her boyfriend Jasper—aka Dr.

Hottie—pushes their relationship too far, too fast. Her best friend Ashleigh becomes obsessed with all things baby.

And FBI Agent Colin Snow keeps appearing and disappearing in a maddening way. Amid the turmoil, Liv questions her choices and contemplates her true desires.

It’s a sticky summer in Portland, Maine, and in the heat of it all, Liv discovers that often the most complex relationship a woman has is the one with herself. .