A wealthy shipping magnate is found murdered in his Egyptian palace; several members of his own family have the means, the motive, and the opportunity to have committed the crime. Against the historical backdrop of Alexandrian Egypt in the first century A.D., Centurion Gaius Hesperian - a reflective and compassionate member of Emperor Nero's palace guard-is dispatched to Alexandria with the seemingly impossible task of solving the crime and apprehending the murderer. Rich detail and a complex cast of characters drive this fast-paced mystery story and romance to its climax.