Working against the background of a campaign for Scottish independence, American undercover narcotics agent, Roz Tattarkowski, has to take over as lead investigator when her chief is killed in a mysterious accident in Edinburgh. From that time on, she receives minimal support from her organization in the U.S.A.
Seemingly left alone to operate in a country she dislikes and struggles to understand, Roz relies on skills she learned as an aspiring but unsuccessful actor in New York. These enable her to track through political intrigue and deceit into a world of narcotics production, immigrant smuggling and trade in human organs. In the process, she becomes involved in further intrigue at the international level, when her acting talents are put to a final test: war will be the outcome if they fail.
Throughout these events, Roz takes pride in her imagination and improvisation. But what appear to be actions taken freely and on personal initiative turn out to be plots scripted and directed by unseen hands.