When a spectacular marble statue of Athena appears at the West Coast Gabriel Museum, curator Jason Connor doesn’t know his investigation of its provenance will take him into the darkest corners of the art world to unravel a dangerous conspiracy that will take him closer to home than he could have imagined. Jason urgently needs to learn the truth about the Athena. But his relentless pursuit risks everything he values. Will it even cost him his life?

Jason’s quest takes the reader into the world of stolen art, fakery, and the tradecraft of intelligence, and raises profound questions about who should own mankind’s cultural heritage.

Arthur Houghton draws on his background as curator of antiquities of the J. Paul Getty Museum and his experience in the US foreign service to create an intricate, informed narrative. Houghton has published four books and more than sixty articles related to ancient history, art and economics.