1934. Competing factions wage a cold war in the streets and marketplaces, vying for dominance of Mexico City. When a series of murders threatens to turn the cold war hot, only Helen Young, drawn to Mexico to complete her late husband’s archaeological work, can put the pieces together and avert disaster...

She laid the book down in front of her and opened the cover. She was surprised to find an envelope made of thick, expensive looking black paper. There was no address, an artful hand had only written ‘Harold Young’ in gold ink. Setting aside her chore, Helen picked up the curiosity, turning it over in her hands to examine it. Folding back the flap, she pulled the card inside free. Skimming past the perfunctory greetings, she discovered it to be an invitation to a party hosted by Diego Rivera. This was about the last thing she had expected; Harold, while worldly, had never been a connoisseur of modern art. While he relished the precision and detail of classical art, he could spend hours studying Greek sculptures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he found little use for the “flights of fancy” represented by modern art. Helen, more imaginative than her husband, found many of the concepts quite intriguing. She attempted to meet Rivera during his recent sojourn in New York, but unfortunately they did not cross paths.

Harold knew as much, and it seemed odd to her he would not have mentioned a connection to Rivera in one of his letters. The date on the invitation, however, was the following week, so perhaps this was a new development. Harold might have mentioned the party in his next letter, she thought wistfully, had he had the opportunity to write another. A pang of sadness struck Helen; she should have come to Mexico City with Harold. Perhaps, things would have been different somehow. Perhaps he would not have gotten sick. At the very least, these last few months would not have been lost to them forever. Helen shook her head; she knew she must not wallow in regrets. She turned her attention back to the invitation, studying the beautiful handwriting.

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