[4] Set in Rome and Roman Greece between September and October AD 76, the novel stars Marcus Didius Falco, informer and imperial agent.

Through his brother-in-law Aulus, Falco hears details of two young Roman women who have died in Greece while seeing the sights of the ancient world.

Falco and his wife, Helena, travel to Greece to meet up with the tour party which included one of the women, seeking clues to her murder, passing through Olympia, Corinth, Delphi and the oracle of Trophonius at Lebadeia before finally arriving at Athens.

Dejected and defeated, Falco and his group travel to Delphi on their original mission: to persuade Aulus to return to studying law at Athens.

Finally, Polystratus is unmasked as the real killer, and the remains of the missing Statianus are found in a stew being prepared by the former for the party, proving his guilt.