Tetzcoco, the second city of the Aztec realm, is a bustling, cosmopolitan town; a city of poets, artists and legendary kings. It's also a place torn by unrest, as rival claimants fight over the throne, and spies and assassins stalk each other through the streets. It is here that Yaotl seeks refuge from his master, the Aztec Chief Minister. Lord Feathered-in-Black has decided to rid himself of his disobedient slave, and plans to have Yaotl sacrificed in the most gruesome manner possible - provided he can catch him first. Yaotl's former lover Lily is in Tetzcoco too, on a mission of her own. A mission that goes badly wrong, with the discovery of a bloodsoaked corpse - and Lily's arrest for murder. Yaotl faces a desperate race against time to find the evidence that will prove Lily's innocence - and save her from execution. But the wily slave's search for the truth will lead him into a lethal trap, laid for him by his most pitiless and implacable enemy ...

Author Biography

Simon Levack trained as a solicitor and still works in the legal profession. He lives in east London with his wife and son. He is the author of three Aztec murder mysteries: A DEMON OF THE AIR, which won the Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger Award; SHADOW OF THE LORDS and A CITY OF SPIES. Visit www.simonlevack.co.uk