The story is set in Thailand in the late 1970s. Todd Harris is a genius and one of America's leading scientists in electronic miniaturization and nuclear bomb design. He is considered a national asset. However, he feels his life is over as he has been fighting cancer and his fianc has left him. June, his twin sister, convinces him to take a lectureship in Thailand seeking to broaden his interests and experiences. It works. Todd falls in love with exotic Thailand, makes some good friends and gets immersed in gemology and scuba diving. While Todd's in Thailand, the CIA is tasked with ensuring his security. But their job is not easy as he craves excitement and wants to take chances - he has a death wish. His presence in Thailand comes to the attention of the Pakistan intelligence service and a plot develops to kidnap him in pursuit of nuclear weapon development secrets. The CIA uncovers this plan and uses the unwitting Todd as bait in a scheme to set back Pakistan's bomb development.