As a blizzard swells just days before Christmas, the car belonging to the wife of a retired local judge is discovered abandoned on a rural road in Tamarack County. After days of fruitless effort, the search-and-rescue team has little hope that she'll be found alive, if at all. Cork O'Connor, former sheriff and now private investigator, is part of that team. Early on, Cork notices small things about the woman's disappearance that disturb him. But...