In the late summer of 1970, it's hot in Montreal, Canada-and getting hotter. Between the high temperatures and the political unrest in the city, the heat is on for private investigator Joey Fine. Short on work and long on bills, Fine needs a case and fast. It arrives in the form of a knock-out dame named Martha Dawes. She wants Fine to investigate the missing funds from her father's will, believing her younger half-brother has left town and taken the cash with him. Fine agrees to help and plunges into a crime that takes several twists and turns, involving some of Montreal's politicians. When Martha's brother turns up dead and there's no sign of the money, however, Fine realizes there's more to this case then mere embezzlement. He uncovers a slew of illegal dealings with some of the seediest underworld characters he's ever imagined. Worse, Martha's husband, Jerry, is somehow involved. This isn't exactly what Fine signed up for. Even so, he keeps digging-but what he finds just might make him wish Martha Dawes had never walked through his office door.