Deckhanding for Old Sam Dementieff on board the salmon tender Freya, Kate helps haul in salmon, halibut - and the body of a widely disliked fisherman, whose apparent murder is greeted with such boisterous rejoicing that she's unsure whether to arrest the killer or give him a medal. Drafted by State Trooper Jim Chopin to assist in the investigation, Kate draws up a list of suspects that includes the dead man's troubled teenage son and daughter, his not-so-grief-stricken widow, and half the skippers of the fishing fleet. At the same time, Kate's Aluet aunties, at a fish camp on Amartuq Creek, are mixed up in some fishy dealings of their own, which Kate must prove do not include murder. A coterie of colorful supporting characters, including a Native American wannabe, an idealistic fish hawk, and a Presbyterian minister, alternately hinder and help Kate's investigation.