Two worlds collide - a drum circle and a pyramid scheme.
As Ariel, an up-and-coming magazine writer, and Mark, a successful architect, battle over ownership of an idyllic Christmas cottage, they soon discover that their cozy holiday getaway may not be the only thing they love.
The recounting of a terrible crime that wracked a family and galvanized police in South Carolina in the 1980's. Southern beauty pageant winner Dawn Smith is targeted by a sadistic stalker whose obsession with her leads him to kidnap her younger sister.
Big-city lawyer Casey McKay, is drawn to a small town by his ex-wife to defend her brother, accused of murdering a DA. He discovers a web of conspiracy that puts him face-to-face with the town's most corrupt land developer, Mr. Gates.
Veteran catcher Crash Davis is brought to the minor league Durham Bulls to help their up and coming pitching prospect, "Nuke" Laloosh. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start and is further complicated when baseball groupie Annie Savoy sets her sights on the two men.
Traxx has battled his way through El Salvador, the Middle East and Nicaragua, spitting lead with two-handed good grace. He decides to retire to a life of baking designer cookies. Running out of dough to buy more dough, he hires himself as a "Town Tamer" and begins cleaning up Hadleyville, Texas, telling the lowlife street scum, "You got three choices. Be good, be gone, or be dead." Like all bacteria, the scum are resistant: crime boss Aldo Palucci brings in the dreaded Guzik brothers to rid the town of the town tamer, setting the stage for a showdown in the streets.
Pat Conroy, an ambitious, slightly rebellious idealistic teacher accepts Bennington county, SC's school board superintendent's offer to teach the all-black kids of the pauper fishery community on Yamacraw Island. Staffless 'head' mistress Brown incarnates stupidity and blind rule obedience, her didactic skills consisting in scolding and spanking her students. Pat moves heaven and earth to motivate and educate, but after finally getting trough to pupils and parents is refused contract renewal by the arch-conservative authorities.
Two brothers embark on a cross country road trip that quickly devolves when they become involved in a global conspiracy.