The novel begins in the picturesque town of Kyoto, Japan. Kyoto is a quaint town that has a great many attractions that visitors might enjoy. In Kyoto is a nightclub called the Moonglow Lounge. This club is owned by Joanna Rand, a singer who is the headliner, often performing two sets a night of jazz music. It is here that the novel begins and here that the two main characters, Joanna Rand and Alex Hunter first meet. Later, the novel moves from Japan to London, where Joanna and Alex find themselves on the trail of a mysterious doctor they suspect wiped Joanna of her real memories and replaced them with fakes. Finally, the novel ends in St. Moritz, Switzerland. St. Moritz is a tourist town that boasts luxurious spas and fantastic skiing. It is also here where Joanna suffered the rape of her mind and body at the hands of a German madman.