Experienced archaeologist Arnold Landon's professional expertise is called into question during a court case and his boss Karen Stannard suggests he should take some professional retraining. Consequently he heads off to a conference in Rome, where he encounters the world of Roman grave robbers known as the tombaroli. Then, while visiting an ancient tomb in the Etruscan city of the dead with his guide Carmela, he stumbles upon a revenge killing.Back in Northumberland, DCI O'Connor also has problems: detailed to investigate an international smuggling ring dealing in ancient artefacts he finds himself attracted to the wife of a wealthy businessman and soon faces a conflict between his personal life and his professional duties.The paths of the two men will coverage when a professional killer arrives from Italy, to continue the revenge murders that had begun in the city of the dead. For both Arnold and O'Connor the solution to their problems lies in discovering the whereabouts of a missing antiques dealer. Read Less