Steve O'Hara's body is found on a course with his skull crushed. Arnold Landing's sparring partner, DCI Culpepper, arrives to investigate and once again, the hapless archaeologist is plunged into a world of egos, ambitions and warped passions before the murderer is eventually unmasked.

Absorbing blend of archaeological mystery and modern-day murder from the ever-popular Roy Lewis. The sudden death of the Director of the Museums Department, Simon Brent-Ellis, after being caught in flagrante with the married secretary of an influential archaeological committee, throws the Department into greater than usual turmoil. The atmosphere becomes even more poisonous when Karen Stannard is told that not only she, but Arnold Landon (much against his wishes) and the deeply unpopular Steve O'Hara, a consultant hired over the Department's head to prepare a bid for Lottery funds, are on the shortlist to replace Brent-Ellis Arnold takes O'Hara to visit the ancient burial site for which the Lottery money is needed and it becomes clear that the consultant has made many enemies in the archaeological community. An unpleasant scene at the opening dinner of an important conference only confirms this, and then O'Hara's body is found on a golf course with his skull crushed. Arnold's old sparring partner, DCI Culpepper, arrives to investigate and, once again, the hapless archaeologist is plunged into a storm of egos, ambitions and warped passions before the murderer is eventually unmasked.