The story is set Monte Carlo in 1914, immediately before the beginning of WWI. At that time, hundreds of thousands of people would flock to the French Riviera each year to winter in the sun. Lily Turner is an ambitious American who is determined to have an unconventional career as a female detective. Paul Newcastle is a mid-level grifter and British ex-pat who is about to age out of the game and needs a big score, soon. Their paths join when they are conscripted into investigating events surrounding a death at the luxurious Hôtel de Paris. Another murder and the arrival of Paul’s nephew ups the stakes to life-and-death for the two main characters. While unraveling the many mysteries, Lily and Paul also find they must examine some of their settled attitudes in order to understand the indelible nature of familial love.