Castle and Beckett pursue a ruthless killer who, they discover, is part of a sinister, international conspiracy. Castle and Beckett are joined on the case by Sophia Conrad, a smart, sexy CIA operative who has a complicated past with Castle.

Castle & Beckett race to find the "Linchpin" in order to stop the first domino in a chain of events which will plunge the United States into war. Their efforts continue to put Castle in contact with Sophia Conrad - a smart, commanding and sexy CIA operative who was Castle's inspiration for Clara Strike in the "Derrick Storm" series of books; and intelligence officer Martin Danberg is back.