Jane has, for once, put work behind her and is living on a house boat where she has just finished writing a book. Visited by an old friend, Abe Levin, he asks her to assess Matthew Viney, an ex-patient accused of murdering his parents. Reluctantly, Jane returns to the big city, intent on spending just a few days on the case. As usual, things don't go as planned. Matthew's brother, Daniel, has recurring dreams where he is the murderer. This is impossible as he wasn't even on the scene - or was he?

When gossip colominist for A-list magazine, Simon Laser, walks into a police station claiming that his murdered lover, prominent judge, Harvey Masters, died in his arms, he is treated with suspicion from the start. Not only was Masters seemingly happily married, he was also known for his strong conservative beliefs. Laser claims their affair was kept a secret and that the killer is out to avenge him by killing those closest to him. It is up to forensic psychiatrist Jane Halifax to determine if Laser is telling the truth, or if something more sinister is lurking under the surface.