Archaeologist Martin Day, who lives on the Greek island of Naxos, receives a visit from Edward Childe, an old Englishman with a passion for ancient Greek marble and an energetic love of life. Edward tells the story of a beautiful Greek girl called Artemis who was his first love. He has never forgotten her and is very excited that he is about to meet a young woman who says she is her granddaughter. The old man is full of happy anticipation, so when he appears to have committed suicide Day resolves to prove that, for some unknown reason, his death was murder. First he must break the news to marble sculptor Konstantinos Saris, Edward's old friend on Naxos. He hears that strange and threatening things are happening at Konstantinos's workshop, suggesting that Konstantinos is in danger of meeting the same fate as Edward. Something has to be done, and Day decides to do it.

This is the second in the Naxos Mysteries series. Martin Day is beginning to get a reputation when it comes to assisting the police.