The Hayworth family lives in a Quaker territory in up-state New York. The matriarch, Emily runs the local bank. Years before, she and her family took in troubled, young Jimmy Flood to protect him from his abusive father. Though one of Emily's grown daughters, Janet feels she did not belong in the quiet, devoutly religious community and left the Quakers, Emily believed that her family ties stayed strong. Real trouble comes to the family when Jimmy Flood returns to the house after busting out of prison with the help of Digby and Lester, and he takes Emily's family hostage in exchange for $4 million. If Emily fails to secure the money in time, her entire family will lose their lives. Determined to resolve the potentially deadly conflict in a peaceful manner, Emily calls an emergency meeting of the town friends to work out a solution and save her family.

When a young mother is murdered, Chicago police sergeant Jack Reed sets out to find her killer. But the secret world of undercover operations rears its ugly head.

Marion Ravinel is trapped in an abusive spousal relationship. She forms a plan with her husband's former lover to kill him. However, the outcome turns out to be more than she planned on as she begins to believe that her husband has come back from the dead to get her.

Student nurses join some doctors to work in a medical station a few hours flying-time from the Mexican town of Catamaco. One of their planes goes down due to an engine malfunction and crashes in the rain forest. This is the story of the attempts to save the lives of the passengers (both nurses and doctors).