They suddenly jump at the opportunity to investigate a new case involving a man who has been murdered and discarded in the Ngong Forest.

They eventually realize that the man's murder might be linked to a later bombing of the Norfolk Hotel in downtown Nairobi, which leaves ten Americans dead.

Although the bombing of the hotel in the novel is fictitious, it is based on real acts of violence committed by ethnic gangs, such as the slaughtering of large groups of people with machetes and the burnings of Christian churches.

Worlds that Ishmael never knew existed are revealed in the novel, such as the Tavern where police officers, professional criminals and prostitutes form working relationships and provide each other tips on how to solve crimes.

Ishmael also deals extensively with his feelings of invisibility—in the United States, he is seen as merely a black man, but in Kenya, his invisibility is replaced with high (and awkward) visibility.