The stories deal with the toll caused by love and obsession. In the first story, labeled MEKTOUB (WRITTEN), a woman becomes obsessed with her daughter's lover. Fate, which brought her to this obsessive state, results in disaster. In the second story, labeled SHAME, a middle-aged curator falls in love with his sister-in-law. He sees his life shattered by his own irrational actions. His life will go on, delivered, but with shame. In the third story, labeled CONJUGAL BLUES, a man is called on to solve the murders of homeless men as well as the problem of the disappearance of his wife and thwart the actions of a group bent on destroying a landmark. The story resounds to the throbbing beat of Chicago blues as it explores the dark sides of conjugal love.