The idyllic Aeolian island of Lipari seems to be the perfect place for a disgraced ex-police analyst to rebuild his life, away from public view after being released from prison on licence. The quiet life is brought to an abrupt end when the journalist who he holds responsible for his conviction manages to track him down.
This time, however, the journalist needs his help to search for a Libyan girl who has disappeared after taking one of the dangerous sea crossings to Lampedusa. Luke agrees to help in exchange for a promise that he will be left alone in future and the two embark on an almost impossible task that takes them into a world of people traffickers, corrupt aid agencies and forced prostitution where they soon find that even amongst the Police and other official organisations it is almost impossible to work out who can be trusted.
Their quest takes them from Lampedusa to Sicily and then up into Tuscany where the respectable façade of one of the region's most elegant towns covers a host of dark secrets.