Gourmet chef Elias Babel, an expert in truffles, the highly sought-after mushroom delicacies referred to as nature’s diamonds, took a nasty fall from his hotel balcony. Friend Hannah Starvling, a former FBI agent turned culinary consultant and amateur sleuth, suspects it was not an accident. After encountering several suspects, including one who seems determined to insert himself into her investigation, she becomes even more convinced of foul play.

Now the planned working vacation with her grandparents, the stubborn Papa Jay and nosy Gran, and love interest Hymnal, is in jeopardy. And so is her life. She only has a few working clues. First, somebody attempted to kill her friend. Second, another rival chef is somehow involved. Third, the mysterious stranger, Lukas Grim, is not who he claims. And last, it all revolves around her friend’s last conscious word, "Dahlia." As for her problems, she has to deal with her Papa Jay and Gran, juggle the obstacles of a new relationship, keep her hospitalized friend alive, all while avoiding getting herself killed.