In an historic, if isolated, New England hotel, some of the most respected names in archaeology are coming together to celebrate the work of Julius Garrison, a legend in the field. It's a conference Emma Fielding is determined to attend -- braving a furious winter storm to get there -- even though Garrison is no friend to her or her family. And when the honoree's lifeless body is discovered outside the snow-bound inn, Emma suddenly finds she is a murder suspect, along with a surprising number of the other guests. The bitterness widely spread by a cantankerous old man has had fatal consequences, forcing Emma Fielding to put her archaeological skills to forensic use to uncover the truth. But a strange series of thefts and attacks -- and eerie rumors about a ghostly prowler -- suggest that truth may be more deadly than Emma imagines.