When the body of his colleague in the Rawlson College Philosophy Department is found brutally murdered one night, Bruno Constantineathe professor with a reputation for solving crimesamust use all of his deductive power to find the killer. Our victim, the brilliant but contemptible Harry Bonner, left a puzzling journal that could point to several suspects: Bonneras lawyer ex-wife, Marla; the politically correct Colin Quayle, dean of the college; David Rosen, the student with an obvious motive; and other faculty members possibly implicated in Bonneras repulsive blackmail schemes. Bruno has his own problems dealing with his bitter divorce, coming to appreciate his ethnic identity, and trying to make a new relationship work. As he analyzes the journalas meaning and begins to unearth some ugly secrets hidden beneath the surface of the collegeas so-called ascholarly community, a a frightening attempt on his own life tells him heas getting very close to the answer.