When a famous black musician is shot down at his eightieth birthday celebration in a small settlement in rural Arkansas, no one can imagine why. Smiley Jones is a living legend, a sweet grandfatherly soul loved by all, and there is intense political pressure to find his killer. To solve the case, the sheriff calls in Jazz Phillips, renowned former head of the Arkansas CID. Jazz quickly discovers a dark side of Smiley Jones that yields a wide field of suspects. Narrowing the list down, Jazz discovers this is no simple murder and he finds himself plunged into the shadow world of national security. He also discovers he is on the trail of an international assassin. Jazz finds himself no longer the hunter but the prey of a man never seen, a professional who leaves no loose ends.