When Rachel Gairdner takes off for Australia to visit her brother Ian, she expects to enjoy a well-deserved holiday in that exotic land down under. But things don't appear to be going as planned. First, her brother fails to meet her at the airport as promised, and shortly after arriving at his house, Rachel discovers that Ian has disappeared. Then, later that weekend, she awakens to find a doctor hovering over her. It seems Rachel has attempted suicide--there's even a note in what looks like her handwriting at her bedside.

Realizing that she was drugged, Rachel now fears that someone is trying to kill her. But who would want to murder a twenty-nine-year-old schoolteacher from Edinburgh? Could Ian, her only living relative, somehow be involved now that Rachel has recently received a surprisingly large inheritance from their aunt? And what of the hasty departure of the Constoupolises, the seemingly friendly Greek couple from whom Ian rented a room? And the sinister-looking character named Slattery, who's been snooping around ever since Rachel arrived--is he the key to brother Ian's disappearance or the attempt on her life?

All Rachel knows is that her dream vacation has suddenly turned into a terrifying nightmare...and it's only a matter of time before her mystery assassin strikes again.