When a corpse is found floating in a fishing hole cut into a frozen lake in Montreal, it appears at first to be a straightforward homicide. But the victim had shadowy connections to the pharmaceutical industry and, before long, brilliant, unorthodox detective Emile Cinq-Mars realises he has a far more complex case on his hands. As Cinq-Mars delves deeper, he uncovers a horrifying web of intrigue which extends far beyond ruthless scientists to the heart of the Mob, and has enmeshing beautiful Indian activist Lucy Gabriel, who has been innocently involved in illegal experiments on AIDS patients. Finding herself the target of a vendetta to destroy those who know too much, Lucy takes revenge with the native Indians. But Cinq-Mars knows it's now a race against time and that he must find her before it's too late. And can he solve the riddle of the death cocktails before his shadowy opponents sacrifice even more vulnerable and innocent men?