Untenured State University of Michigan English professor Nick Hoffman tries to lie low as three senior professors battle to be department chair. The situation implodes when an emergency meeting turns the department, and normal academic procedure, upside down. In an intense atmosphere of mounting crisis, Nick is desperate for a quick getaway. Nick's partner, Stefan, suggests an idyllic week at a Club Med. The Island of Serenity, however, proves to be anything but serene, and again, Nick finds himself face-to-face with murder as his vacation in paradise becomes a nightmare.