When an exclusive, high-roller poker night ends with the murder of oil magnate and seemingly devoted family man Jeremy Hare, Rose and Raj find themselves completely out of their depth in the gambling world. The evidence is perplexing. Jeremy's substantial winnings from the night are still on his body, and he's been stabbed with an ornate, ceremonial golden knife that was left at the scene. Unfamiliar with the complex strategies and unspoken rules of high-stakes poker, Rose and Raj are left struggling to decipher the various hidden motives of the players around the table.
The game was hosted by Ace Dawso, a slick operator and local villain, with whom Joe and Rose have had a previous run-in. Ace's invitation-only matches attract an elite, ruthless crowd. There's Rami Ashraf, an enigmatic Egyptian playboy and seasoned poker pro with secrets to protect; Eleanor Calvert, a sharp stock-market whiz and one of the country's wealthiest, most calculating women; and Ace himself, who sat out the fatal hand but oversaw the room with a watchful eye. Every player present had something to lose and possibly a reason to want Jeremy silenced.
Baffled by the tight-lipped suspects who can quickly tell that she doesn't understand the game, Rose soon realises that conventional police work won't crack this case. She has no choice but to recruit Joe, whose history makes him the ultimate insider. Enticed back into the illicit world of gambling, Joe is forced to confront the dangerous addiction that nearly ruined his life. To help Rose read the table and flush out a cold-blooded killer, Joe must walk a risky tightrope, gambling not just with cash, but with his own addictions.
