It's autumn in the sleepy Maine town of Bath and life seems perfect. At least that's what retired schoolteacher turned detective Jesse Ashworth thinks until his world is turned upside down. After celebrating the richness of autumn with a cookout for friends and family, Jesse's partner Tim Mallory goes missing. Determined to find Tim, Jesse with the help of retired Montreal police captain Hugh Cartier, must search for Tim while still trying to maintain business at the Bigg-Boyce Detective and Security Agency. The Collins's Department Store has been suffering heavy losses because of shoplifting, and it's up to Jesse and Hugh to solve the problem without the help of the missing Tim Mallory. But the Collins's Department Store isn't their only client. Forty-five-year-old Bunty Morgan hires the agency to find his birth mother and with too few clues to go on, Jesse fears he will fail his client. Missing partner, missing merchandise, and missing mother, Jesse Ashworth won't be enjoying the quiet life he so craves.