Two years after retired Secret Service agent Hunter Kingsley and his wife Susan's "murder cruise" (Book 1: Murder in the North Atlantic), they decided to give cruising another chance and are setting sail on a wine lovers' cruise to Alaska with their friends and hosts, Scott and Catalina Poncetran. On the last day of the cruise, May 9th, the Poncetrans plan to reenact the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris wine test-but with a twist. They plan to perform a blind taste test of wines from other states against California wines. The Poncetrans have thus, unknowingly, set in motion a chain of events that will put themselves and others in the cross hairs of a clandestine and ruthless group of winemakers who will stop at nothing in order to protect California's sterling wine reputation.

With reputations and lives at stake, Hunter must put his investigative skills to the test as he and Scott race against the clock to uncover the plot to stop the May 9th event. Will Hunter and Scott even see May 9th?