An evil man is murdered by blowfish poisoning and a Japanese fugu chef is just one of Lieutenant James' suspects. A love story between two Japanese and a killer who is getting away with more than just murder complicate the investigation.
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,
While trying to make it big on Broadway, dancer Abby Fouchet finds herself falling in love, falling in rehearsal (!), and trying to outwit a clever killer out to destroy the man she loves.