After the unexpected and untimely death of his wife, wildlife biologist Lakin Douglas returns to work and signs up for a project to take his mind off of his recent trauma. He specializes in 'problem animals' in settings where habitats and human dwellings overlap, and so he's called into a town where a rogue wolf has been killing livestock and causing issues. Lakin goes to the town anticipating that it is actually a pack of dogs behind the damages, but when human bodies start turning up he becomes concerned that he may not be tracking an animal at all. This slow-burn novel follows Lakin as he unravels the secrets of the small town of Rotten Fork, while also unpacking the details of his wife's death and the emotions that he has been trepidatiously avoiding.