Carl Wilcox really does try to stay out of trouble - he's had enough of it over the years - but the times being what they are, the choice isn't always his. For now, though, he's taken a job painting signs for the town of Hope, South Dakota. It beats hanging around his folk's hotel in Corden and gives him the chance to earn an honest dollar. Then, late one July day, the McGillacuddy kid rides up on his bike and tells him that there's a body in the sandpit outside of town. Nothing about the death was natural. Everyone knew Felton Edwards, but there didn't seem to be many who liked him, except for some of the women. And while the local police were willing to let matters just go their own way - without any help from Carl - the mayor had a different idea. It seems that Edwards left town about fifteen years ago and his last known location was Edenberg, but before he left, he'd had his way with some of the women in town, never giving any thought to whether they were married. Now, if Carl would just do some investigating on the mayor's behalf, well, there just might be some other work available around town. One of the first things Carl discovers in Edenberg is that Felton Edwards's reputation was deserved. The second thing he discovers is another body - and another warning to steer clear of doing any investigating on his own. Still, most of the people Carl will have to talk to are women, and there was the promise of more work . . . There were lots of people with cause to kill the man who was taller than God, but only one of them did it. There were also some people taking potshots at Carl Wilcox. But a puzzle or a fight just broke up the tedium of a long summer day. . . .