Arthur Pfefferkorn is an unsuccessful, middle-aged writer with long-dead literary aspirations living out his days teaching creative writing at an East Coast liberal arts college. When one of his oldest friends, renowned thriller author Bill de Vallèe, is lost at sea, Pfefferkorn flies to LA to attend the funeral. As he learns about his estranged friend’s life- both successes and shortcomings- he is torn between envy and grief. Finding an incomplete manuscript from the late writer, Pfeferkorn sneaks off with it after the funeral and rewrites it as his own, finally earning the success and recognition he’d felt robbed of his whole life.
But taking over Bill’s work and status opens up more than just doors to fame and success. As Pfefferkorn learns more about the darker side of his late friend’s life, he finds himself sucked into a wholly unexpected adventure.