In The Family Vault, Sarah Kelling supervises the opening of an old family vault in a Boston cemetery. The vault hasn't been opened in decades. Sarah's Great-Uncle Frederick has ordered in his will that his body be interred in the historic family vault. However, when the vault is opened, a body is found in there. The body is recognized by a bystander as a local exotic dancer, Ruby Redd, who vanished years ago.

With the help of private detective Max Bittersohn, it's up to Sarah Kelling to hold the shocked family together, and try to find out what happened. What she unravels is a complex murder plot that not only stretches into the past, but also has Sarah marked as a victim.