Death and danger stalk undercover investigator DJ Smith when she is seconded to the Portuguese Drug Enforcement Agency on Madeira, island of orchids and flamboyant bird of paradise flowers.

After Luis Gomes' body is found floating in Funchal harbour, Comandante Figueira blames a security lapse by her for jeopardizing the success of anti-drug operation Boa Morte. Given a deadline to get results, DJ narrows down the list of suspects, each of them with something to hide. But her investigations draw the attention of a ruthless killer to herself and to her sniffer cat Gorgonzola.

A tense endgame takes place on the two thousand foot high cliffs of Cabo Girao, when DJ is faced with the hardest decision of her life.