Kate's uncle Sam dies, leaving her a letter instructing Kate to ?find his father'. The problem is Sam's father disappeared nearly 90 years ago with a priceless tribal artefact.

As Kate delves into the old man's life, she unearths some surprising facts: his service in World War Two, his friendship with crime-writer Dashiell Hammet. The problem is that she's not the only one interested in Sam's past. And this someone has no compunction about putting Kate permanently out of the picture to get what they want.