Death and danger stalk undercover investigator DJ Smith when she is seconded to the Portuguese Drug Enforcement Agency on Madeira, island of orchids and the flamboyant bird of paradise flower. After Luis Gomes's body is found floating in Funchal harbour, Comandante Figueira blames her for a security lapse which jeopardized the success of anti-drug operation Boa Morte. Given a deadline to get results, DJ narrows the list of suspects, each of them with something to hide. But her investigations draw the attention of a ruthless killer to herself and her sniffer cat Gorgonzola. A tense end game takes place on the 2,000 foot cliffs of Cabo Girao, when DJ is faced with the hardest decision of her life.