it looks like a straightforward murder investigation. a deserted restaurant in a boarded-up hotel, a body slumped in a chair, a glass of wine on the table; a shady deal gone wrong. but what about that little wooden box with its skeletal finger enmeshed in silver? when the body is finally identified as the former parish priest, the story takes off in a completely unexpected direction. the finger points to crusaders, nazi officers, and tudor henchmen, among many others. slowly, the mystery unfolds. and the truth, when it comes out, is devastating.