A master detective who has long since departed from the police force teams up with a child prodigy to investigate three cases of spontaneous human combustion. As the duo probes the meaning behind the esoteric words branded on the chests of the victims, readers will savor the mystery of why the detective quit police work so many years ago. Having met over a game of go, the protagonists apply the principles of the classic strategy game to their investigation, lending a new angle to classic mystery tropes. As the duo work through their clashing personalities and contrasting generational wounds, the result is an entertaining psychological thriller that delivers equally on both fronts.