Sheriff Bo Tully of Blight County, Idaho, is back. Tully and his retired sheriff father, Pap, are on their way up to West Branch Lodge, a fancy mountain resort, to investigate a missing persons case when suddenly an avalanche thunders down the mountain. Tully just barely manages to outrun it in his car, but the road behind them is blocked and will be for a while, so they'll be spending much more time up at the lodge than they had planned. Which would be fine, if only the spoiled and snobbish guests of the lodge didn't think Tully, Pap, and their friend Dave Perkins didn't quite deserve to be there. Dave gets in a little tussle with some frat boys that leaves one of them wishing he'd never opened his mouth. In the midst of dealing with their various fellow guests, Tully and company find out that the avalanche dammed up West Branch River, and Tully has a brush with death when he rescues a couple of girls shacked up in one of the small cabins along the river. After that little adventure Tully's looking forward to a little rest and relaxation while waiting for the roads to clear, but instead runs into an old flame back at the lodge. She's married, but alone at the lodge for the week, and the possibility of an illicit affair looms…