Imagine that in the yard of your house you find the remains of a young girl. Introduced? Clutched in her fist is a phalanx of someone else's finger with your family jewel - a ring that disappeared without a trace a hundred years ago... And trying to find a connection between a recent tragedy and an ancient crime, you risk becoming the last victim of a mysterious and dangerous killer. Ancient secrets and modern maniacs - in the queen's novel American detective.