Spring is blossoming in Branson Falls, and one of the biggest employers in the valley, Sturdy Packaging, just had layoffs. The owners of the company don't seem to be hurting, but the rest of the town is, and half the residents are focused on winning the Sinful Cash Jackpot Lottery as a new employment plan.
As Kate Saxee, editor of The Branson Tribune, learns more, she finds out the layoffs were just the tip of the iceberg. When Sam Crock, the long-time owner of Sturdy Packaging, begins getting threats and then disappears on a business trip, Kate starts investigating. There are a lot of suspects, including business associates, and hundreds of employees who are now out of work.
Things are also heating up with Hawke and Drake, who are both involved in the investigation. Kate's trying to navigate her two dating "situationships" while doing her job, which is proving difficult for many reasons. In addition to that, she's dealing with her mom's questionable decorating choices, a Bengal tiger sighting, and an incident involving Ella's creative assault techniques.
As Kate goes deeper down the rabbit hole, she realizes everyone's playing a different game and if she's not careful, one of the numbers that comes up might be her own.
