Stephanie McCann is working as an intern at The Weekly Islander, a small newspaper on an island off the coast of Maine. When she asks veteran newspapermen Vince Teague and Dave Bowie whether they have ever encountered a truly unexplained mystery, they tell her about a case that has puzzled them for years.
A man was found dead on the beach with no identification and few clues about who he was or how he got there. More than a year passed before investigators finally identified him as a man from Colorado, earning him the nickname the Colorado Kid.
But identifying the victim creates even more questions. The circumstances surrounding his journey to Maine and his death seem to contradict what should have been possible, and every new piece of information makes the case harder to explain.
As Vince and Dave share the mystery with Stephanie, the story becomes an exploration of why people are drawn to unanswered questions and what happens when a mystery refuses to provide a neat solution.