The bucolic calm of a resort community is shattered by a horrendous multiple murder. A deputy sheriff, who stumbles upon the grisly crime scene, is aided in his investigation by only scant physical evidence and a single surviving witness--the family pet. In addition, the sleuth's personal life is troubled by an incipient romance, a vexatious political race, and a probable link between a past inquiry and the recent killings. With a dogged persistence, though, the deputy is able to uncover a sinister motive of blackmail and revenge, and solves the mystery of The Turner Tragedy. The Turner Tragedy is a sequel to the first installment in this mystery series, The Dunbar Curse.