Arthur Pfefferkorn is a middle-aged college professor with long-dead literary aspirations. When his oldest friend, bestselling thriller writer William de Vallèe, is lost at sea, Pfefferkorn is torn between envy and grief, for de Vallèe not only outshone him professionally, but married the woman he also loved. Pfefferkorn's decision to reconnect with de Vallèe’s widow plunges him into a shadowy realm of double crosses and intrigue.

Medical student Jonah Stem accidentally stumbles across a murder in progress: a woman is being stabbed to death in the middle of the sidewalk. Without thinking, he rushes in to protect her --- inadvertently killing her attacker in the process. Thrust into the media spotlight and crushed by guilt, Jonah quickly learns that heroism isn't all it's cracked up to be.