Young chess master Magnusson's corpse is found in pig slop, almost completely digested. That farm and MO suggest the work of a presumed killer Jarrick Henry, who however has a solid alibi. Magnusson's violent ex Ingrid makes a logical suspect. Former master Sweets resumes the game in the club to test the other members, including his long-standing friend Dimitri Romanov, neurotic Ahn Ni, haughty president Forrest Wakefield, expelled Tiffin Olin and Magnusson's protégé Tim Levitt, whose mother had an affair with him. Dr. Douglas Filmore, now also graduated in forensic anthropology, acts as intern to observe the Jeffersonian team for an official report on US-Canadian forensic collaboration.
—KGF Vissers