On a snowy day in December 1946, Lane Winslow--a former British intelligence agent who's escaped to the rural Canadian community of King's Cove in pursuit of a tranquil life--is introduced to the local hot springs. While there she overhears nearby patrons speaking Russian. When one of those patrons is found dead in the change room, Lane's linguistic and intelligence experience is of immeasurable value to the local police force in solving the murder.