When the oldest son of Chesapeake Cove's mayor is found dead behind The Steaming Bean, suspicions flood the streets. What's worse is he's got the stolen Anchor Award, the same one Cherry, owner of The Steaming Bean cafe, had confronted the mayor's wife about the night before. When the mayor's wife, Charlotte, points her finger at Cherry, the rumors begin to swell. Bette won't abandon Cherry, and, even more, she knows that the mayor's wife has a grudge against her friend and would love to see the young woman gone.
Cherry's cafe is dead in the water, and unless Bette can discover who really killed the mayor's son, her friend will be forced to leave the town she's fallen in love with. To clear Cherry's name, Bette is going to need all the help she can get. With her son, Vance, in town, a gorgeous stray Chesapeake Bay Retriever she's calling Buster Crab under her care, and her aunt Pricilla on her side, Bette's ready to fight the tide and catch the murderer.
Things get even more tangled when Steven, the victim's younger brother, confesses to the murder. Bette's convinced Steven's lying, but she can't figure out who he's trying to protect. They're desperate to save The Steaming Bean, but will Bette discover the truth before the tide and time wash away the evidence?
