After his working class family stumbled into money, Huger (pronounced You-gee) Dillard moved with his parents into a wealthy neighborhood tucked near the border of the Naval Base in Charleston, South Carolina. Huger tried college, but dropped out and now spends his days aimlessly and his nights driving his blind father, Unc, to poker games and late forays onto the country club golf course.

During one of those excursions, they discover a dead body submerged in the pluff mud of the marsh. The find scandalizes the neighborhood and ignites various law enforcement agencies to battle over jurisdiction.

Old relationships and dark governmental secrets intertwine, confusing Huger and Unc as they try to figure out who to trust.