Shan, the former investigator from Beijing, has been appointed as a police officer. When an elderly nun is attacked, he tries to identify the perpetrator – and quickly finds himself in trouble. In a crypt that was guarded by the nun, three bodies are discovered: an old lama revered as a saint, a soldier who has been dead for about fifty years – and a man in his forties, dressed in Western clothing, who was likely murdered just a few hours ago. Shan discovers that the deceased is an American whose mother fled from Tibet to the USA many years ago. Witnesses claim to have seen a woman at the tomb: a woman with striking green eyes. Pattison skillfully weaves together political relevance, vivid landscape descriptions, and insights into the world of hidden monasteries and secret rituals, leading the reader to a compelling conclusion.