Unseen danger, scheming suspects, colorful characters, and a rich tapestry of historical detail combine in an unforgettable tale of romance and suspense on the Bay of Naples during the reign of Nero.At a grand banquet, a minor nobleman is poisoned and dies. Suspicion swirls first around the household slaves: If any of them did it, all of them will be put to death! Germanus has well-hidden reasons for hating false accusations, so he sets out to find the murderer, his only clue a severed human thumb. Secretly in love with the beautiful young widow, he knows he can never hope she'll care for him: As a slave, he's far beneath her notice. But when she's accused of the murder, their lives are on a collision course with disaster.