Set in Isola, the city that both is and is not New York City, it features his world-renowned squadroom of heroes and anti-heroes, joined together by a tough and often unrewarding job.

This time a man with no enemies is found hanging in what appears to be a suicide. But Carella and Brown soon discover that, drugged and unconscious, he could not possibly have hanged himself. They are dealing with murder. The investigation takes them into the politics and passions of a musical in preparation. Or rather two: one that happened half a century ago and one that is happening now . . .