A big city singer going through a rough patch in her life washes up at a crumbling manor with her fragile young daughter and staid governess in tow. Soon they're the talk of the small bayou town, but not the only talk—the local African American community is concerned for one of their own, the latest victim in a long line of disappearances. In satisfying their curiosity about these mysteries—the newcomers, and maybe even a murder—best friends Otis and Red embark on a summer of revelations that will forever change their lives.