Camilla MacPhee is looking forward to cutting loose at Ottawa's Bluesfest, a huge open-air extravaganza, and to seeing the tail end of her annoying office assistant, Alvin, who is finally quitting. Then the news comes from the East Coast. Alvin's younger brother Jimmy has vanished from the midst of a Canada Day crowd in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Is he dead? Sleuthing irritably about Sydney on Alvin's behalf, Camilla manages to make the usual quota of people froth at the mouth, including Jimmy's frantic family and forlorn friends. Before Camilla knows it, all roads lead back to Ott awa, where a killer waits to create havoc among the tents, guitar pickers and happy, swaying crowds.