Charlie Northern may be one of the best detectives in Scotland Yard but that doesn't keep him from enjoying a night off curled up with a good book of conspiracy theories and a full pack of cigarettes. That is, until an old friend shows up at his door with the news that a high-ranking Vatican official and probable successor to the Pope has mysteriously died. Now, Northern must travel to Rome and seek out the facts in a place legendary for keeping its secrets. There are forces at work in The Holy See that want Northern to fail--forces darker and more ancient than any in his favorite dime-store paperbacks.