 Ben Mears, a successful writer who grew up in the (fictional) town of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine (known to locals as "Salem's Lot" or "The Lot"), has returned home following the death of his wife.Ben plans to write a book about the "Marsten House", an abandoned mansion that gave him nightmares after a traumatic (and possibly supernatural) childhood experience.Once in town, he meets local high school teacher Matt Burke and strikes up a romantic relationship with Susan Norton, a young college graduate.