It's a gorgeous summer Saturday morning and Brickley's Books is ready to greet fans of best selling author Holly LaFrance in town to autograph books. Opening her bookshop early, Carolyn Brickley discovers the mutilated body of the town's librarian. Making matters worse, the syndicated column, 'On the Chopping Block,' is published featuring a brutal review of Miss LaFrance's latest epic. Are these events a coincidence or are they connected?