The murder of Bill Judd Sr., a wealthy local loathed by many in the town of Bluestem, Minnesota, comes on the heels of two other killings -- both old friends of Judd. To Detective Virgil Flowers, it's clear someone has an axe to grind. But who? As Virgil investigates, the sheriff's sister reveals that her family suffered a financial setback due to Judd's ruthlessness. But while the sheriff is sure the killer is ex-con-turned-preacher George Feur, Virgil keeps coming back to a 30-year-old event -- Judd's fabled Man on the Moon Celebration, where a young woman died mysteriously. If there's one thing Virgil knows for sure it's that this killer is leading him to the dark side of the moon, and only one of them is coming back...