Gabriel Tretjak is the "fixer," hired by rich clients to fix their lives, to challenge fate on their behalf. He does so without moral limitations or scruples. His methods draw on the latest research into the human brain and advances in psychology. His prices are high, but his clients are always willing to pay. No matter how desperate their situation, they want a happy ending; but happy for whom?

Soon the body of a famous brain surgeon is discovered in a horsebox, a murder made all the more gruesome by the fact that the victim's eyes have been removed by something resembling an ice cream scoop. The surgeon is the first victim of a murderer who leaves tantalizing clues behind, all pointing to Tretjak.

While he tries to stay in control of the situation, Tretjak is overtaken by a feeling that he normally uses to his advantage when working on behalf of clients. That feeling is fear. A fear that increases as it slowly dawns on him—and the police—that these murders are all linked with his past. The one thing he cannot fix.