For over half a century the beautiful, ruined Temple of Apollo has been in the care of the old beekeeper Gabrilis. But when the value of the land soars, he is persuaded through unscrupulous means to sign away his interests - and hours later he meets a violent, lonely death. When Hermes Diaktoros finds his friend's battered body by a dusty roadside, the police quickly make him the prime suspect. But with rapacious developers threatening Arcadia's most ancient sites, there are many who stand to gain from Gabrilis' death. Hermes resolves to avenge his old friend and find the true culprit, but his methods are, as ever, unorthodox. Readers who were captivated by The Fat Man in "The Messenger of Athens" will be thrilled to rediscover him. Those new to the series will meet a detective who breaks the mould - a Greek Poirot, who keeps a number of unusual tools to hand to administer his unforgettable brand of justice.