Alex Bryn, a once successful musician, is retired and earning his bread as a small-time music critic when he receives an unexpected call from a police inspector.
The inspector is investigating a suspicious death in Edinburgh of a woman identified as a past girlfriend of Alex's. Shaken by the news, Alex finds himself in a jazz bar attending an impossible out-of-time show performed by Ciara, his ex-lover, and reminiscing about their turbulent past.
Alex must walk a fine line in trying to give a convincing account of this near-mystical experience to the unbelieving inspector, especially since the experience is apparently linked to the secret of Ciara's death. But did the performance really take place or was it just a figment of Alex's imagination?
The audiobook version contain a full recording of Ciara's show.