Nick Watters is enjoying a weekend innertubing on the French Broad River near Asheville, North Carolina with his friends, until the voice of the siren, Tzelica, haunts him. She demands the recovery of a missing young woman. When he discovers her, Nick finds himself in a race to identify the killer before he becomes the next victim; and in the process, discovers his own Cherokee heritage.
The French Broad River runs north, and it is the source of transportation and pleasure. Its unpredictable eddies have claimed many throughout history, thus the story of Tzelica evolved. The Cherokee named her as the siren who sent men to their deaths.