The Linklater family arrive on the remote Scottish Isle of Sulla with a plan. Convinced that society is on the brink of collapse, they intend to build a self-sufficient commune with other like-minded "preppers," a place where they can survive whatever disaster the future brings. Instead, tragedy strikes. When the family's teenage daughter is found dead, the close-knit island community is horrified--and suspicion quickly falls on the people who raised her.

Elspeth, a Canadian considering a new beginning on Sulla, already knows how wary the islanders are of outsiders. She's experienced their frosty welcome firsthand. Harmless pranks--local traditions meant to remind newcomers of their place--are supposed to be little more than mischief. But Elspeth has begun to see how quickly those "jokes" can turn unsettling and how easily a warning can become something far more sinister.

As everyone on Sulla tries to make sense of the tragedy surrounding the Linklaters, Elspeth discovers that life on Sulla demands connection, not isolation. Yet the closer she grows to the people around her, the more dangerous the truth becomes. Because someone on this small island is capable of murder. And when the real killer is finally revealed, Elspeth realizes that on Sulla, closeness can be deadly--and she may already be too close to escape.