On a bracing autumn day in Door County, a prominent philanthropist disappears. Is the elderly Gerald Sneider-known as Mr. Packer for his legendary support of Green Bay football-suffering from dementia, or just avoiding his greedy son? Is there a connection to threats against the National Football League?

As tourists flood the peninsula for the fall colors, Sheriff Dave Cubiak's search for Sneider is stymied by the FBI. When human bones wash up on the Lake Michigan shore, the sheriff has more than a missing man to worry about. With the media demanding answers and two puzzles to solve, Cubiak must follow his instincts down a trail of half-remembered rumors and local history to discover the shocking truth.