P.I. Regan Reilly and her husband Jack of the NYPD Major Case Squad find themselves up to their necks in a case that takes them from the beautifully preserved Victorian resort town of Cape May at the southern tip of the Garden State, to the casinos, shops, and boardwalks of Atlantic City, and to the music halls and restaurants of Asbury Park. Since she grew up in Summit, New Jersey, Regan has many old friends who frequent the sandy beaches that line "The Shore," and she runs into many of them while working this case. But there's one friend in particular she almost doesn't recognize -- and there's a good reason for that . . .