Winston McBride—an actor and professor of theatre—has been found murdered on stage during a play in which he was supposed to be the star. The play, entitled "Retribution," was written by an alumna of Western Dakota University, where McBride teaches acting. Everyone involved with the play, including the director and the other actors, despise McBride, whose narcissistic personality has made him a pariah both in Pierre, South Dakota and in New York. With little forensic evidence to work with, Director of Campus Security Leroy Simpson and Pierre Police Detective Tom Big Lance must rely on their investigative skills to find McBride's killer. With the solution to the mystery clearly lying in the past, the detectives explore the motives and personalities of their many suspects to identify the murderer.