It is 1957. A hardened criminal imprisoned in Vladimir Central saves the life of a young violinist-turned-thief and takes the boy under his wing.
Fifty years later, in New York City, JO EPSTEIN – private investigator and performance poet – is hired by her Russian émigré stepfather, Nikolai, to help him escape the clutches of a blackmailer.
From Vladimir Central Prison to the brooding Russian forest, Jo races against the clock to solve crimes committed on two continents.