Stella and Ellie are two sisters only 14 months apart, who compete for everything, including their parents’ affections, in a small town that everyone calls “Deadwater” due to the disappearance and murders of at least three young women several years ago…as the story progresses, the reader is drawn into the supposition that the murders may not be over, leading to a suspenseful build-up while still carrying on the story of the two girls trying to build their credentials to get into college.