When former FBI profiler and now senior staffer at the US Embassy in Paris Hugo Marston is asked to accompany an artist to her exhibition opening, he is expecting to be bored stiff by the assignment. Instead, he finds the artist, Alia, to be beautiful, charming, and very talented. While there, Hugo receives a call that his girlfriend, Claudia, has passed out during a training run not far from his location, and immediately rushes to her side. Just as he is about to take her home, he is notified that Alia has been found strangled at the exhibit. Because of his background, Hugh is allowed to unofficially help in the Parisian police investigation, but with very few suspects with a motive, the mystery deepens.

Meanwhile, Hugh’s best friend, Tom Green, has gone off to Amsterdam following the trail of a sworn enemy of theirs and tries to keep Hugh in the loop. When Tom suddenly becomes incommunicado, Hugh becomes concerned for his welfare. To make matters worse, the French investigator in charge has discovered what he deems incontrovertible evidence tying Claudia to the murder of the artist Alia.

This is a fast-paced novel that alternates between Paris and Amsterdam, with Hugh trying desperately to find a solid lead other than Claudia (who claims she’s never even met Alia). Meanwhile, his friend, Tom, is playing a very dangerous cat-and-mouse game with a wily and deranged killer.