A Relaxing vacation cruise through Alaskan waters is just what Detective Marcus Jefferson and his family needs. They meet International best-selling author, James Blackthorne, who is on board as a guest of the cruise line. In his stateroom after a speaking engagement, a strange illness strikes the author which induces his death. An initial ruling by the ship's medical staff of natural causes raises few alarms. However, Joan Jefferson, an experienced geriatric nurse and Marc's wife, questions the decision and pushes a reluctant detective to initiate an investigation. With little evidence and unenthusiastic shipboard medical and security support, he delves into an impossible search for the truth. Did Blacthorne die naturally or become a victim like a character in one of his own books?