It's 1998, and the Town of Beaverly is home to Canada's deepest but least exploited sinkhole. For years, Mayor Conrad Lemon's efforts to transform it into a tourist attraction have been unsuccessful, as have most of his plans to put Beaverly on the map. When an emergency thrusts Beaverly in the spotlight, Mayor Lemon is determined to make the most of it -- no matter what. At his side (against her will) is Jemima MacNaught, assistant editor of The Beaverly Modicum, who finds herself forced to choose between loyalty to her profession and her town, though she's not sure she wants to stick with either. A Hole in the Ground is a tribute to small towns, small newspapers and the people who keep them running, through holes and high water.