On leave from Canada's Community Policing department, Esa Khattak is traveling in Iran, reconnecting with his cultural heritage. But Khattak's break is cut short when he's approached by a Canadian government agent, asking him to look into the death of renowned filmmaker Zahra. Zahra was murdered at Iran's notorious Evin prison, where she'd been seeking the release of a well-known political prisoner. Khattak finds himself embroiled in Iran's tumultuous politics and under surveillance by the regime, and when the trail leads back to Zahra's family in Canada, Khattak calls on his partner, Detective Rachel Getty, for help