Rome, 56 BC. The philosopher Dio of Alexandria comes to Rome seeking support against the government of Ptolemy XII, but he is murdered before Gordianus can protect him. Clodia hires the Finder to investigate, drawing him into a case involving Egyptian agents and Rome’s most notorious aristocratic circle.
The trail converges on the prosecution of Marcus Caelius Rufus, where Cicero turns a criminal trial into a public attack on Clodia’s character. Gordianus must distinguish political propaganda, private revenge and the actual conspiracy behind Dio’s death.