Rome AD 70 Private Eye Marcus Didious Falco is approached by 16 year old Socia Camillina Her uncle, a senator, has his suspicions of a highly profitable, if highly illegal, trade in silver ingots or pigs For Falco, this is the start of a murderous trail leading to a godforsaken land called Britain, to Emperor Vespasian himself and to Helena Justina, a lady leagues out of his class He should have listened to his mother she always said girls would be his downfall