It was a calm October day when three men set out for a day's fishing from a small Australian seaside town. No one can understand why they didn't return, since no trace of the men or their boat is found duirng an extensive search. Weeks later, an explanation finally surfaces. A passing fisherman hauls in a gruesome catch - the head of one of the missing men. The bullet hole in its temple raises more questions than it answers. Who wanted the murdered fisherman dead - and why - is left for Inspector Napolean Bonaparte to find out as he tackles one of his most difficult and intriguing cases.