When Florida attorney Tina Jefferson hears her mother's gasping voice on the telephone, she knows something's happened. "What's going on, Mom?" Tina asks. "You sound...worried." "Worried?" the older woman retorts. "Why, everything's wonderful, Tina, what could possibly be wrong? I play shuffleboard every day and we all have such fun." Except, Tina knows, that her mother has never played shuffleboard in her life; she's a successful, lifelong sculptress. So Tina decides to jump into her flying club's airplane and cross Florida to her mother's condo on the west coast to see what's going on. When she arrives, at first glance nothing seems changed. But she soon discovers that a gate guard may have been murdered and residents are frightened. Maintenance fees are escalating, driving some into bankruptcy, and a new crowd of malignant managers has taken over the little island, threatening residents. Using her legal knowledge, Tina tries to help, but soon finds that protecting herself from escalating danger has become the ultimate challenge.