In a moment of clarity following a near-fatal automobile accident, ad executive Peter Jamison realizes he has misplaced his creative soul. In an attempt to reclaim his wayward psyche, he and his artist son, Charlie, embark on their sailboat-Jamison in search of redemption and Charlie in search of his stymied muse. As they head south a parallel story unfolds: that of Fred T. "China" Beach, and his deadly drug enterprise. So begins an adventure that takes Jamison and Charlie from the tranquil beauty of the Georgia barrier islands to the glitzy world of Miami's South Beach. As they are being tested by the uncertainties of nature, the mysteries of unexpected love, and the threats of drug-related violence, unexplained events multiply. Who are the distressed voices on the radio, and who sent the armed men in the high-speed boat? Is the mysterious, seductive woman in Jamison's arms a delusion or an angel, and where is she leading him? As Jamison records his revelations in a journal he dubs "The Dolphin Chronicle" father and son are drawn through an unfolding array of challenges toward the shocking culmination of their quest.