Alicia Trent again draws on loyal friends to help solve a convoluted mystery. Professors are dying at the upstate New York college where she and Laudine are spending a semester. The venerable campus buildings, riddled with secrets, once comprised a monastery. The collection Alicia has come to catalog consists of items associated with death and mourning. Why anyone would choose to collect these items seems strange to Ali, and she hopes to discover the reason behind the choice. She and Laudine have both been hired to do a job, but they can't ignore the fact that fellow staff members are dying. Ali's special tool, the three-tiered bottle, tries to help, but as usual, the information is cryptic and disjointed. Working and attending classes on a college campus like no other, they hunt for clues while interacting with an unusual cast of characters whom they must decide if they can trust.