The death of a relative can be tough on a family, but nothing makes their passing more punishing than jealousy and greed. When the recently deceased William Pelletreau leaves nothing to his scorned family, brother-in-law Holt Prendergast coerces his wife Judy to give him the cheapest burial his funeral contract will allow. However, Holt's obsession with squeezing every penny leads to the discovery that the local cemetery's secrets are as dubious as they are terrifying, and if Holt wants William buried his way, he might have to dig a grave himself. Taking place before the events of Life After: The Arising, Life After: The Cemetery Plot enriches the arc of the series by filling the void of questions the novel's characters can't answer, such as the cause for the car accident on route 3, how it is the undead can dig out of their graves, and most importantly, who is patient zero?