Nobody is particularly fond of DeWitt Emerson-"Witty" as he's known to some, and "Dimwit" by his detractors. But as the Deputy Chief of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, he has a good deal of political influence and prominence, so when he's found murdered in Grunewald forest, the CIA, FBI, and the local police all swarm in to solve the crime. His deputy, Adam Jackson, thirty-five, is persuaded to covertly search his apartment, but when he's spotted leaving, he barely survives a brutal kidnapping attempt. Soon, those who are sent to investigate the crime are consumed by turf wars, jealousy, and suspicion of an inside mole, second-guessing each other's moves as the murdered continues to walk free.

In this fast-paced political thriller, Adam reluctantly becomes an underground operative in order to stop an ultra-right-wing conspiracy against democracy. Drawing on his knowledge of Berlin, and an innately gifted, if somewhat clumsy investigator, he finds a connection to the local aristocracy with ties to organized crime. Adam must avert further bloodshed in a cat and mouse struggle before the plot to end democracy's pieces falls into place.