Nicolaos is the young son of a sculptor in 5th century BC Athens who discovers he has a knack for solving mysteries. Aided by the wise (if a bit of a know-it-all) priestess Diotima, Nicolaos is hired by high-profile Athenians to get to the bottom of their most troubling problems. His mission is to find the assassin of the statesman Ephialtes, the man who brought democracy to Athens and whose murder has thrown the city into uproar. Gary Corby's delightful potboilers are historically inspired and full of real personages.