n 1902 the dusty western town of Hillyard, Washington, seems worlds away from metropolitan New York City, but it still isn't far enough for Nell to feel safe. So when she's handed a chance to impersonate Mabel Chumley as the new Hillyard schoolteacher, Nell jumps at it. Never mind that she knows nothing about being a schoolteacher.When a man is murdered and Nell finds herself holding answers to the mystery, she knows better than to share her information with the Marshall. After all, she's no innocent herself, and it's no skin off her nose if someone else gets away with murder. Unfortunately, the murderer doesn't know that.Meanwhile, the town's lady doctor befriends Nell with an intensity that borders on courtship-or is it suspicion? When Nell's story begins to unravel, she scrambles to shore up one alias or another. Anything to keep the town-and the lady doctor-from finding out who she really is. And what she's done.