While rounding up newborn calves during a 1987 blizzard, Nathan Shellenberger, sheriff of Small Plains, and his teenage sons, Rex and Patrick, discover the naked frozen body of a beautiful teenage girl. Later, Nathan and Dr. Quentin "Doc" Reynolds bash the girl's face to an unrecognizable pulp, since they know who she is and fear that either Patrick or Rex's best friend, 17-year-old Mitch Newquist, is her killer. Witnessing this terrible scene is Mitch, hidden in Doc's home office supply closet where he's gone for a condom to use with Abby, Doc's 16-year-old daughter. When Mitch goes home and reports what he found Mitch's father, a judge, forces Mitch to leave town after the boy admits what he saw. He never says goodbye to anyone include Abby who is told it is her fault that he has left.
It's 17 years later, 1994 and it is still a cold case. During another blizzard 33-year-old Abby Reynolds is reminded of the mystery and decides to find out who the Virgin really is. The secret begins to peel away when Abby realizes that the stories told about that night don't quite ring true. As she asks the people she loves to return to that time in 1987, Abby fears the murderer might be staring her in the face.
Meanwhile Mitch is back in town and no one knows if they can trust him or not least of all Abby. There are many complicated subplots that almost overshadow the real mystery of who is the virgin and who killed her? But overall an excellent thriller.