It's the spring of 1939, and the New York World's Fair is nearly ready to open. Its visionary theme, "Building the World of Tomorrow," promises a peaceful and prosperous future. But that bright prospect is darkened by war clouds gathering over Europe and the rise of the German-American Bund. Against this backdrop, NYPD officer Brian F.X. Fitzgerald investigates a series of mishaps involving mural painters working at the Fair. He suspects sabotage, and when one of them is killed, he's sure it wasn't an accident. Guided by a beautiful artist who becomes his lover, Fitz digs deep into the art world's rivalries to solve the mystery of the murdered muralist.
