Jack Swyteck is called upon to defend a homeless man who had threatened to jump from a bridge unless he could talk to the mayor's daughter. Vincent Paulo, a recently blinded negotiator, talks him down. Bail is posted for $10,000. To everyone's shock the homeless man, known only as Falcon, pays the bail in cash. Shortly thereafter, the body of a brutally murdered woman is found in the trunk of an abandoned car in which Falcon is living. Falcon panics and takes a group of people hostage, one of whom is Theo Knight. Paulo is called upon to negotiate with the assistance of Detective Alicia Mendoza, who happens to be the mayor's daughter and Paulo’s former girl friend. The search is on to discover the identity of the murdered woman and the true identity of Falcon. The trail leads into the past and the story of the Disappeared, the more than 30,000 Argentinians who, because of their opposition to the military regime, vanished between 1975 and 1983.

This is another excellent adventure of Jack Swyteck. The plot moves along briskly with plenty of twists and turns. The story is dramatic and gripping. The main characters are well depicted with the relationship between Paulo and Alicia developed in depth. The author shows a deep understanding of the problems of Alicia and Paulo because of his blindness. The story of the Disappeared is told in all too graphic detail.

This is an enjoyable, easy, but none the less suspenseful read.