The murder of an American marine biologist on the remote island of Atauro, north of East Timor's capital of Dili, turns a tropical paradise into a hotbed of intrigue. FBI agent Sara Carter, on secondment to the local INTERPOL mission, is sent by her embassy to ensure the widow's speedy return to the US and her father-an influential senator-no matter what. Timorese police investigator Vincintino Cordero is assigned the case with instructions to keep Carter at bay and prove Timor's law enforcement system is thorough and effective in order to strengthen its case for continued US aid. Meanwhile Carter's translator, the young Timorese police officer Estefana dos Carvalho, is haunted by fears that the spirits of dead exiles her father was forced to bury on the island will extract their revenge on the children she expects her marriage to produce. Ignoring their instructions, Carter and Cordero join forces only to find that everyone has something to hide on Atauro and even the island's past is shrouded in mystery. and even the island's past is shrouded in mystery.