In this, the third book in the Grace Farrington DNA mystery series, Grace is returning from winning the prestigious Guru award, when she finds Oyster River Harbor Research is being picketed by Anti-Genetic Engineering protestors. Her rival, Dr. Huang Wong, has signed a research grant with a conglomerate run by the handsome, wealthy bachelor Axel Jensen. C.E.O. of Humanity's Harvest, Axel has a reputation for marrying brainy women and is under the impression that his generous contract also includes Grace.
Tension is building up with the demonstrators, as Grace and the other researchers start getting anonymous death threats. These threats are ignored until a body is found floating in the Connecticut harbor. Humanity's Harvest tries to cool things off with a December outdoor-in-the-snow bar-be-que, while Grace is hunting for traces of the elusive "food for the Incan Lord God" in the University Museum. In New Haven, she stumbles on to an intriguing DNA puzzle left over from the Conquistadors conquering of Peru. Can even Grace solve it all before the next murder?