A Simple Plan

"A Simple Plan begins on a snowy winter afternoon. Hank Mitchell is driving on a lonely country road with his brother, Jacob, and his brother's pal, when suddenly Jacob's dog leaps into the woods. Following him, the three men come upon the wreckage of a single-engine plane and the body of the pilot. Under the seat they find a duffel bag containing four million dollars in packets of hundred-dollar bills. Shocked, barely able to make sense of what they see, they try to puzzle out the right thing to do. They arrive at a seemingly simple plan, a plan that will enable them to hide, keep, and eventually share the fortune. They believe it will harm no one, put no one at risk. From the moment the plan is set in motion, Hank's orderly universe begins to crumble. He is constantly on the watch, trying to prevent his partners--his brother, his brother's pal, and, ultimately, his wife--from making impulsive or careless moves, triggered by panic or even impatience, that could endanger them all. But soon, panicked by his brother's stupidity and confusion, Hank commits a murder. And his nightmare begins."--Book jacket.