2060 New York - as ever, some murders receive more attention than others - especially those in which the victim is a prominent businessman, found in his Park Avenue apartment, tied to the bed - strangled - with cords of black velvet. Thomas Anders' scandalous death is a source of titillation and speculation to the public - and of humiliation to his family. But the facts don't add up. Was this a kinky sex game that turned into a crime of passion - or a meticulously planned execution? It's up to Lieutenant Eve Dallas to solve a case in which strangers may be connected in unexpected and deadly, ways. J.D. Robb is the pseudonym of bestselling author Nora Roberts.