Archaeologist Martin Day thinks he has escaped from real life when he buys a house on the Greek island of Naxos. Events prove him mistaken. He plans to write a book about a local historian called Nikos Elias and quickly realises that Elias had secrets which might lead to an exciting discovery. Then a man is murdered in a Naxos hotel, a mild-mannered American called Michael Moralis whom Day once met. Inspector Andreas Nomikos suspects that Moralis was connected to antiquities smuggling, but Day cannot believe it of the man. Nor can he leave well alone. While trying to get to the bottom of Elias's secret obsession, he also starts making his own investigations into who killed Michael Moralis.

Rich local colour, a clever plot and an eccentric archaeologist make this first book in the Naxos Mysteries series an absorbing read.