In 1558 a Spanish galleon headed for the New World with supplies for the Spanish colonies was severely damaged in a storm and sank off the coast of Georgia. Now, inside one of the largest cofferdams ever built for the purpose of archaeology, Lindsay Chamberlain is excavating the site on the ocean floor. The new head of the division of anthropology and archaeology at the University of Georgia, Francisco Lewis, is staking his reputation on the success of the project; and John West, Lindsay's friend, is risking his future and his construction company on the safety of the cofferdam. For Lindsay, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand a past history that unfolded at sea, not on land. At least one passenger survived to tell the tale of the ship's voyage and destruction. His diary, written in code in a mix of Latin shorthand and archaic Spanish, reveals details of the voyage and describes his life at sea in the sixteenth century, a treasure of information for the archaeologists now recovering the remains of the ship. The pages tell of sea monsters and of another lost ship-a galleon on its way to Spain loaded with a vast treasure of gold, silver, and precious jewels. The diary also reveals that a murder occurred on the journey. Lindsay discovers the remains of the victim, a skeleton crew of suspects, and the diary-all the clever scholar needs to solve a crime that occurred more than 440 years ago. Anxiety takes its toll on the archaeology crew with the ocean and its pounding waves only two bulkheads away. Modern-day pirates are on the horizon anxious for the archaeologists to find the treasure, and a hurricane is headed their way. Adding to the troubles, one of the bidders for the construction of the cofferdam is found dead along with a beach bum who had found an emerald-encrusted gold cross. As tensions and trouble escalate, Lindsay must solve the murders. Everyone is a suspect. After all, who can resist the temptation of so much gold?