What begins as a harmless excursion to an idyllic vacation island turns into a nightmare for forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan. Archaeological excavations in the sands of Dewees Island, South Carolina, uncover not only buried Native Americans but also a body that may have been buried on the beach just a few years ago. As if that weren't enough, shortly thereafter, the remains of an alleged suicide are discovered in a swamp on the mainland. Strange markings on the cervical vertebrae of the deceased suggest to Tempe that there must be a macabre connection between the two cases.