It's not the sort of assignment an ex-CIA agent turned insurance investigator usually takes. But when Harry Bracken is asked by his former intelligence boss, Biff, to unravel the mysterious disappearance of Biff'e teenage granddaughter, Harry reluctantly agrees.
Harry soon discovers that the girl has apparently run off with a faded punk rock band called Rat Bait. But there are vicious individuals who don't want anyone looking at Rat Bait's activities too closely and are willing to use murder and extortion to keep their secrets.
Aided by, among others, a 300-pound evangelist from the church of Rock named Area Code, Harry finds himself traveling from New England to the West Indies and back in search of the granddaughter. Along the way he finds out that the case isn't just about "estrogen fits" and rock n, roll. International money laundering, and high-tech arms trading are involved as well. And Harry quickly learns that rat bait is more than just the name of a group/ It may be the fate in store for him...