Meet Eric Harada an up-and-coming homicide detective with the Seattle Police Department, who is about to encounter his first high-profile case of his career. The Emerald City seems to have been taken hostage by a serial killer who local news quickly nickname the "Sightseeing Killer." As savvy as Detective Harada is when it comes to his police work, he is also a conflicted individual to whom his Japanese heritage seems to be a burden. But not only Harada is struggling, so is the city. Against the backdrop of the financial crisis, Seattle has seen the gap between rich and poor open wider and wider. "Emerald Murder" is a classic detective story with a twist. It treats the city that it takes place in as much as a character, as it takes its protagonists seriously as human beings.