The book, The Wharf at Port Townsend Bay, describes an 1869 Makah whale hunt that leads to the discovery of a derelict sailing ship with about 400 dead on board and to a ship log explanation. The story moves to 1982 to describe a father and mother who lavished affection on their son, Michael Storey, who, later, 2008, serves as assistant to the head of the FBI at a point in time when many male high school social study teachers are being killed. The rest of the book describes how Michael Storey, on vacation in Port Townsend, unintentionally solves the cases.
