It is 45 BC, and Julius Caesar is at the height of his power.

Quintus Fufidius agrees against his wife's instincts to the marriage of their daughter to the handsome, young Lucius Scaurus.

It is an alliance which could heal old feuds and create a new dynasty. But before the wedding takes place one of the principals is murdered. Suspects are few, but Roman society is shocked when Quintus' wife is accused, not only of murder, but also of incest.

The trial of Helvia, in which she is defended by Cicero, is a courtroom battle on the grand scale and accompanied by the political shenanigans which result in Caesar's assassination.

Joan O'Hagan has written a brilliantly evocative novel and a unique whodunit, subtly combining the elements of a contemporary mystery with the atmosphere of ancient Rome.