Death is a prominent theme in the culture of Tristopolis, with the characters using the names of Thanatos and Hades in place of "God", and the bones of the dead serve as the city's primary energy source.

The story revolves around the police detective Donal Riordan who is assigned to protect the opera diva Maria daLivnova against the Black Circle, a group of assassins who target gifted artists with the intent of trafficking their bones.

After Riordan fails his mission, he realizes that he was set up as a pawn by his higher-ups, and is recruited into a task force which investigates the Black Circle and their connection to the higher ranks of the Tristopolis society.

At the same time, Donal falls in love with his new superior, the beautiful zombie woman Laura Steele, and they begin a passionate romantic relationship.

A number of reviews praised the inventiveness of the novel's setting, with Fantasy Book Critic comparing it to Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, Edgar Allan Poe, and J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter,[1] and SFFWorld drawing parallels with the movies Se7en and Dark City.