Hoshi Sato studies for years in Japan to become licensed to prepare fugu, all the while dreaming of his childhood love, Emi Suniko. In America, he finds her teaching an art class where one of the students, a retired "investment broker"  dies of blowfish poisoning, almost certainly caused by the chef.  Lieutenant James finds that several others ate the fugu Hoshi prepared and didn't die. Calling it murder, the detective uncovers many motives among the other art class students. James not only must find how the poison was administered, who did it and why, but work against the clock as the killer is getting away with more than just murder,