When Elizabeth is poisoned in a Rome hotel room and barely survives, Craig is determined to find out who was responsible. His search leads him to Milan, Bardolino, and London. Along the way, in this exhilarating story, Craig is repeatedly attacked and key witnesses are murdered. Yet, he and Elizabeth persevere. Craig's search takes him back to Yale University 35 years ago and an enigmatic group of four undergraduates.

Craig uncovers a dark conspiracy, meticulously planned by Hu Zheng, a former Chinese intelligence agent, now the Chinese President. Craig learns that Hu's goal is China's takeover of Taiwan. Even more terrifying, Craig discovers that the ultimate objective of Hu's sinister plot is to manipulate the election of the American President. And it all began at Yale University with the Poor Man's Club.