harry page, junior, a very successful fashion photographer, receives a telephone call from his sister. She tells him that his father, who threw him out of the house sixteen years before, has mysteriously disappeared, having cleared out all the bank accounts. when harry arrives at the family home, his sister is wounded and unconscious, having been attacked and apparently raped. very reluctantly, harry agrees to help, and finds that he is now the de facto head of the family shipping business, which is in great trouble, due to vicious outside forces willing to commit multiple murders, arson and other atrocities in order to take over. harry has to become fully involved in the investigation, and although finding love unexpectedly, suffers great physical pain and near disaster, before discovering the greatest hurt of all.