The newly deceased Mona Dearly (Bette Midler) was many things: an abusive wife, a domineering mother, a loud-mouthed neighbor and a violent malcontent. Therefore when her vehicle and corpse are discovered from the Hudson River, authorities Chief Wyatt Rash (Danny DeVito) instantly suspects murder as opposed to an collision. However, because the whole community of Verplanck, N.Y., shares a deep hatred with this unceasingly spiteful woman, Rash finds his murder evaluation overwhelmed by potential suspects.