Convinced that her uncle Walter's suicide was actually murder, Kari Spencer asks Private Investigator Paul Birch to look into the matter. Though he's not convinced, Birch is willing to spend some time putting her fears to rest.
His investigation focuses on The Tontine, an art gallery where the dead man was part owner and where the partners have strong differences of opinion over how the business should be run. The deeper he probes, the murkier the investigation becomes; To make matters worse, Dusty, Birch's insatiably curious writer girlfriend, becomes interested in the case and starts her own investigation.
As Birch picks his way through a series of threatening letters, questionable ethical practices, a quirky will, a mysterious twin brother, and a second death, what should have been a simple case turns into a deadly trap for Birch and the woman he loves.
