After the death of his father, graduate student Wilson Dodge returns to his hometown in Wyoming to run the family newspaper. Its the mid-1950s: a time of simplicity and peace in Dodges small town until the newspapers youngest employee, photographer Corky Freeman, is found dead. For Dodge, nothing is simple anymore.

Grayson Farmer is the Fremont County Sheriff , now facing reelection as a Democrat in the year of Eisenhower and the Republicans. He cant seem to find a suspect or motive in the death of Freeman, and the towns fresh-faced news editor does little but get in his way. Farmers problems only increase due to personnel problems, another death, and the FBI.

Dodge sets out to solve Freemans murder and finds clues, romance, and family secrets. A journey that leads the newspaperman to lessons and dangers he had not expected. And as the body count rises and fills the front page, Dodge declares a deadline on reporting deaths.