American historian and international treasure hunter, Paul D'Arneau, is licking his wounds after his iconoclastic views and unconventional research methods cost him his lofty university position. When a mysterious invitation from Gens de Verite, an ancient and secretive organization formed in France after the fall of Napoleon in 1815, arrives to offer Paul a chance to solve history's greatest and most controversial mysteries, he is intrigued. Was the emperor murdered or did he die a natural death?

Renowned for his expertise in forensics, esteemed for his rectitude in the shadowy world that trades in cultural artifacts, Paul seizes the opportunity. He quickly realizes his efforts to penetrate the secrets hidden in musty documents and oral histories of Napoleonic lore could cost him his life. He struggles to understand why the truth about Napoleon's death poses such a threat to the warring factions that zealously guard their historical turf, and little known details about Napoleon's life emerge.