The strange appearance of a mummy at a conference sets off a chain of events with repercussions that go far beyond the staid world of academia. A suspicious death, a secret code, and a powerful sect combine to intimately connect the past to the present.
As in the previous Charlotte Anthony mysteries, the action takes place in Elm Grove and features characters both new and familiar. Charlotte's daughter, Ellis, returns to the typical small Midwestern town much more grown up than when she left, attracting the attention of both Tread, the scion of a political dynasty, and the handsome and slightly mysterious Selim. But, she is plagued by an inexplicable sense of dread-and wonders if the answer lies in mysticism.
Charlotte again teams up with Detective Barnes to solve the present-day crimes, with the hope that she will finally unravel the remaining mysteries of her partner Donovan's colorful ancestry.
