Singapore, 1964-1965. Political tensions reach a head as the British pull out and a new nation is about to be born. This is the town of Sam Callaghan, Patricia Cheng, Conrad Harrison of the CIA and the clients of Cheng Detective Agency. The agency handles both normal criminal cases and cases with international implications and complications. Sam agrees to help Patricia after her husband is killed in a case. Patricia may not be a detective, but she does have good contacts with the various local communities as well as between expats. After a childhood in a POW camp and a career in military intelligence, Sam has also built up the necessary contacts.