When a bomb goes off in Scheherazade's, a posh department store in Baghdad, leaving nearly 200 people dead or wounded, the authorities and the police think that it is just another routine case of it's type and appoint Captain Ali Allawi of the National Police to head the investigation. He has no clues to go on and no organisation claims responsibility, but one sharp-eyed member of his team notices something on the CCTV surveillance footage that is unusual - baffling even. Then they notice other discrepancies that lead Captain Allawi to suspect that they are facing a new, unimaginable type of threat. However, none of these clues make sense. He seeks help from Interpol, but they do not seem to have any other cases with data matching his, so he puts up a flag on the Interpol computer that he wants to be informed of any bombings with criteria matching those of his. Soon, five more cases are reported around the world and six police forces join to hunt for those responsible for the atrocities. The story takes place in Baghdad, Iraq; Marseille, France; Essen, Germany; Belfast, Ireland; New York, USA; London, England; Los Boliches, Spain; St. David's, Barry and Cardiff, Wales and many other towns and cities around the world, including in South Africa and Thailand.