In 1928, in a Cathedral in Spain, respected scholar Dr Emily Temple dies a violent death. Back home in a North of England village, aspiring archaeologist Gwen Armstrong mourns the death of her mentor. She's convinced that Professor Temple was murdered, and she seems to be the only person who wants to know the truth.

A bright, adventurous young woman, Gwen had set aside her dreams and taken a college secretarial job to support her war-damaged father and younger brothers. She had been thrilled when Emily took her under her wing. Now, she's stunned to find out that she may inherit Emily's fortune. Her dream of becoming an archaeologist is suddenly within reach. But when a posthumous letter from Emily begs her to hide an ancient gold horse statuette, she fears Dr Temple may not only have been murdered but was involved in smuggling stolen antiquities. Gwen bluffs her way onto an educational tour and heads to northern Spain, determined to find out. She meets a motley group of travellers who all have secrets to hide, and every step takes her deeper into a web of deceit, theft, and murder until her own life is at stake.