Arthur Pfefferkorn is a has-been, or perhaps a never-was: 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 Pfefferkorn professionally, but married the woman Pfefferkorn loved.

Finding an incomplete manuscript from the late writer, Pfefferkorn sneaks off with it after the funeral and rewrites it as his own, finally earning the success and recognition he’d felt robbed of his whole life.

But taking over Bill’s work and status opens up more than just doors to fame and success. As Pfefferkorn learns more about the darker side of his late friend’s life, he finds himself sucked into a wholly unexpected adventure. He sets in motion a surreal chain of events, plunging him into a shadowy realm of double crosses and intrigue, a world where no one can be trusted - and nothing can be taken seriously.