In postwar Los Angeles— ground zero in J. Edgar Hoover’s anti-Red crusade—private investigators Kit Comfort and her partner, infamous ex-cop Henry Richman, are hired by Donald Dreiland, publisher of True Investigations magazine, to track down his missing Jules Verne first edition. Sophisticate Dreiland is sure his brilliant but unpredictable assistant editor, Marlene Overbrook, stole the book from his office, then dropped from sight.

Marlene, once a celebrated child prodigy and Army intelligence recruit, is in deep hiding, terrified to reveal all that she knows about the stolen Verne and about Dreiland, who is not quite as he seems.

In their quest to find Marlene, Kit and Henry dig deep into her personal life, interviewing her estranged mother and uncovering past mental health issues. They also question local book dealers about possible clandestine sales involving the Verne. Just as the clues are beginning to gel, the detectives discover they are being followed by a pair of Russian spies. The rogue agents also want the Verne and are willing to kill to get it.

Kit and Henry scramble to stay one step ahead of the Russian spies while keeping tabs on Dreiland, whose movements have raised their suspicions. For Marlene and the coded secrets she holds, time is running out. To save Marlene and halt the treacherous mission of the Russians, the detectives must put all of their skills and guts on the line, from the deserts to the docks.