It's early morning in the small Texas town of Edenberg when the body of Beverly Hoffman is discovered in the Guadalupe River. After Nichole Miller discovers the body, she makes two phone calls: first to the police and second to her best friend, journalist Jenny Martin. Jenny knows foul play when she sees it. The two women enlist the help of Beverly's daughter-in-law, Robin, who's eager to expose the truth. Beverly had been beloved in the community, having cofounded the wildly popular personal-development company Genetive, Inc. But something sinister has been smoldering beneath the surface of their picturesque hometown. And Genetive is at the center of it all.