A British tour group in Italy finds murder is an obstacle to their sightseeing: "Fastidious writing [and] a fine appreciation of place." - Sunday Times
A group of well-to-do tourists is visiting Italy's magnificent churches, but they've found themselves stumbling into an unholy web of blackmail and drug-smuggling-and, in the depths of a Roman basilica, murder. Fortunately Inspector Roderick Alleyn is among the group as part of an undercover assignment, and prepared to extract a confession...
"A lively thriller whodunnit." - The Observer
"The nonpareil among criminal investigators." - The New York Times

Ngaio Marsh was one of the celebrated queens of the golden age; she is the author of 32 novels in the "Inspector Alleyn" series. In addition to writing, her great passion was theater. She was born in New Zealand.