Shock ripples through the UN at the stunning news: a special envoy has been found murdered in the basement. For Sam Windrush, a deputy in Legal Affairs, the death of his friend couldn't be more devastating. Years ago a personal tragedy bound the two men together, and now Sam is determined to find the killer - despite intense pressure to abandon the investigation.

The murder has cast uncertainty on the outcome of a high-stakes General Assembly vote, and the last thing UN officials want is more controversy. Suddenly Sam is up against roadblocks - created by everyone from his supervisor and foreign ambassadors to his lover - and everyone has an agenda to protect.

The worst is yet to come. Sam uncovers too many disturbing coincidences: security cameras turned off for maintenance, a press corps member who knows too much, the suspicious activities of the victim himself, and a hushed-up review of a special committee. Sam has a score of suspects, but each one is protected by diplomatic immunity. Each one can escape justice.

In less than a week UN officials will wrest the investigation away from Sam and hand it to the NYPD. In less than a week his fourteen-year career will be on the line. And as time runs out he will face an even greater threat. Someone has found a new suspect. A suspect not protected by diplomatic immunity. The only suspect Sam wants to eliminate but cannot.