Techlogy may be different in 2060 New York, yet the city is still a place of many cultures and great divides. And as ever, some murders receive more attention than others - especially those in which the victim is a prominent businessman, found in his Park Avenue apartment, tied to the bed - and strangled - with cords of black velvet. It doesn t surprise Lieutenant Eve Dallas that Thomas Anders s scandalous death is a source of titillation and speculation for the public - and humiliation for his family. While everyone else in the city is talking about it, those close to Anders aren t so anxious to do so. Fortunately, because Dallas s billionaire husband, Roarke, happens to own the prime real estate where Anders s sporting-goods firm was headquartered, she has some help with access. Before long, she s kcking on doors - or barging through them - to look for the answers she needs. But the facts don t add up. Physical evidence suggests that the victim didn t struggle. The security breach in the highly fortified apartment indicates that the killer was someone close to Anders, but everyone s alibi checks out, from the wife who was off in the tropics to the loving nephew who stands to inherit millions. Was this a crime of passion - or a carefully planned execution? It s up to Dallas to solve a sensational case where all involved guard secrets from one ather - and strangers may be connected in unexpected, and deadly, ways. Nora Roberts is cool. - Stephen King