The richest man in the world has been kidnapped along with four of his children, putting five innocent lives at stake.
The abductor demands that America's five best private detectives reach the missing tech billionaire's penthouse in New York City by noon and take part in a deadly contest of riddles and ransoms.
Among them is Sam Speedman, a skinny, bespectacled investigator whose brilliance sets him apart from most other detectives.
As the challenge escalates and the bodies begin to mount, Sam sees how misleading appearances can be.
He may also come to believe that some villains are better left alone.