On the eve of the heated presidential election of 1892, Miss Hattie Davish arrives in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Summoned for her services as a private secretary, Hattie is looking forward to exploring the hills, indulging her penchant for botany and getting to know the town's handsome doctor. When the temperance leader Mother Trevelyan is murdered, it's easy to point fingers. Now that she's working for a dead woman, Hattie turns to her trusty typewriter to get to the truth.