Four years ago, Peter Fontaine made a name for himself as Bellingham, Washington's premiere investigative reporter. Since then he's got an award, a cat, and a good-looking artist to come home to every night. Nick Olson, Peter's long-suffering lover has a lot of reasons for wanting Peter to stop investigating the many and varied crimes committed in the City of Subdued Excitement. Peter's nasty habit of getting held at gunpoint by lunatics has Nick wondering if any story is worth losing Peter for good. But Peter's thirst for knowledge must be satisfied. And whether it's at the Farmer's Market, the microbrewery, or a mid-century meth motel, Peter will use his power of ultimate nosiness to uncover the town's long-kept secrets.