When the Cardinal next in line to succeed the ailing Pope turns up dead, Scotland Yard's finest detective, Charlie Northern, finds himself on a plane to Rome with little more than a full pack of cigarettes. With the help of a priest, a coroner and one beautiful lawyer, Northern must uncover the facts in a place legendary for keeping its secrets. There are forces at work in The Holy See that would see the truth remain hidden - forces ancient and dark, with a power not seen in this world for millennia, and an agenda that will leave Northern's world more shattered than he could have ever foreseen.