Book 1 of a cozy mystery novel series. Anne has returned to Westport, the quaint maritime village where she grew up, to do two things she loves-teach in its multi-cultural elementary school and race her small sailboat in in the Westport regattas. For years, she's lived quietly in the friendly village. But after an important women's regatta that attracts many sailors, a teacher from Anne's school is found dead, hanging from a hook at Anne's boat club.

Anne has never remarried after her husband died years ago in his twenties. After the murder, the neighborhood gossip tells the police she thinks Anne and the dead teacher's husband were having an affair. Even though this isn't true, Anne finds herself a suspect needing to prove her own innocence by finding the true murderer. She's helped by Tim, the dockmaster at her boat club, whom she's known for a couple of years, and working together brings them much closer.