'Reluctant sleuth Bromo Perkins returns to the streets of Richmond, persuaded by the tempting wiles of Liz Shapcott, to look more closely into the death of bright young student Melissa O'Grady. As he bumbles his way into the murky depths of this trendy Australian suburb, Bromo soon falls foul of devious real estate agents, housing developers and town planners as he uncovers something far more sinister than shonky real estate deals. The tentacles of a cruel and vicious trade in young Asian women drag him into a world of murder and torture simmering below the surface of a richly diverse community where he is never more than a few paces away from his beloved short blacks and a soothing shot of Lagavulin malt.' (Publication summary)