TV's beloved sleuth Jessica Fletcher is back in her twenty-ninth adventure. Cabot Cove, Maine, annually hosts an elaborate Fourth of July celebration, and this year is no exception. Between historical reenactments, parade floats, and the fireworks show, the community is abuzz with activity. No one is more enthusiastic than the town's newest resident, corporate mogul Joseph Lennon. His insistence on financing a fireworks extravaganza to rival New York City has caused a bit of a stir among many folks who feel the town is losing its identity and traditions. The July Fourth festivities begin and end in a successful, spectacular fashion. But before the night is over, joy turns to horror when Lennon's lifeless body is discovered, floating in the water outside his office complex. When the autopsy reveals he didn't die from drowning, Jessica has no choice but to investigate her fellow Cabot Cove citizens to find out if one of them is capable of murder ...