Sergeant Petra Minx of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is ecstatic when her quirky boss, A.K., orders her to Nassau to meet the legendary Betty Graceby, a retired Canadian singer and ex-Vegas dancer. The complaints Betty has been filing against her obnoxious grandson Ken have finally caught the attention of the authorities. But why the sudden interest?

Martin, a journalist with a great nose for a story, has heard rumours of a new arts centre to be financed by an anonymous benefactor ... and Betty's fortune has tripled since the death of her husband, Joe LePinto, who was killed in a car driven by her smooth-talking son Cliff. So is money the key, and how far will the Graceby 'boys' go to secure their future?

As the action moves from the Bahamas to Las Vegas and on to the Great Lakes of North America, Petra develops a deep affection for Betty and her fact-finding mission becomes much more personal. She uncovers a viper's nest of hatred, greed, treachery and lust and realizes that LePinto's influence is as pervasive in death as it was in life.

The dead man's legacy is a weighty one...