Milwaukee Police Detective Declan Tomczyk, a former Marine Corps officer, is dispatched to investigate the damaging and desecration of headstones at a local cemetery. Initially chalked up as the handiwork of Halloween pranksters, it becomes anything but when his good friend and former squad partner is critically injured. Tomczyk is determined to track down the domestic terrorists, leading him further into danger. This marks the beginning of a series of violent crimes, eerily similar to the "reign of terror" that paralyzed Milwaukee decades earlier. As Tomczyk probes into the mysterious leads, he teams up with FBI Agent Anne Dvorak, and a romance blossoms. With the unlikely assistance of a high school athlete and World War II veteran, the investigators scramble to identify and apprehend the perpetrators. As they close in, it becomes a race against the clock to pinpoint the next target before it's too late.

Libertus accepts a contract to install a pavement for Genialis, a self-important citizen from a nearby town, in the house of the customer's intended but unwilling and young bride, Silvia. However, the winter is exceptionally severe, and although the mosaic is laid in time to earn the promised bonus, Genialis goes missing in the snow before payment can be made.
Meanwhile, at an important feast, the sacrifice is spoiled as an aged priest lets go of the sacrificial ram and when news arrives that the Emperor is dead, it seems that these dark omens are being realised. The subsequent discovery of not one, but two mutilated corpses only adds to this. Who holds the answer to the mysteries? Everyone had motive; Libertus attempts to solve the mystery against a backdrop of superstitious fear of auguries, and public riots following the confirmation of the Emperor's death."

A request from the Danish Ambassador leads Albert Campion into a baffling murder case in this finely crafted historical mystery. The Danish Ambassador has requested Albert Campion's help on 'a delicate family matter'. He's very concerned about his eighteen-year-old daughter, who has formed an attachment to a most unsuitable young man. Recruiting his unemployed actor son, Rupert, to keep an eye on Frank Tate, the young man in question, Mr Campion notes some decidedly odd behaviour on the part of the up-and-coming photographer. Before he can act on the matter, however, both the Ambassador's daughter and her beau disappear without trace. Then a body is discovered in a lagoon. With appearances from all of Margery Allingham's regular characters, from Campion's former manservant Lugg, to his wife Lady Amanda Fitton and others, this witty and elegant mystery is sure to delight Allingham's many fans. The dialogue is sharp and witty, the observation keen, and the climax is thrilling and eerily atmospheric.