When an American detective on holiday in Samothrace, Greece, meets an unorthodox archaeologist excavating an ancient double-murder scene, she must help him solve the case before they both fall prey to a mysterious cult.

SYNOPSIS:

HELEN THANOS (30), an American detective on holiday in Samothrace, Greece, is about to learn that asking too many questions can get you killed. She takes a tour of The Paleopoli, the ruins of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods and home to an ongoing secret cult. She meets SIMON PARSONS (40), an unorthodox British archaeologist, who uncovers a skeleton that Helen immediately suspects is a murder victim. With only two days left on his dig permit, Simon needs her help but is hesitant about answering all her questions about the cult known only as the Eleusinian Mysteries.

Others on Helen’s tour include the Greek tour guide, ZINO DRACOS (25), CLAUDIO and GINA (30s) from Rome, and an Egyptian couple, NUBIA and CEPOS (30s), and each has secrets. Zino is an antiquities security guard. Nubia and Cepos are current cult members, and Claudio and Gina are former cult members who now steal antiquities.

Helen is unaware that her new love interest is setting her up for antiquities theft. First, Simon passes her an old iron ring in a café before he is searched by Zino. Next, he hides an ancient wine jug in his car which she was driving. Simon has innocent excuses each time, which trusting Helen overlooks. Meanwhile, current cult members including Nubia, Cepos, and the local POLICEMAN (50) force Simon to stop working to avoid uncovering cult secrets. Helen is knocked unconscious and shoved into a body-sized pit within the pit covered by a stone with the symbol of Hades (Hell). Helen regains consciousness, finds a second ancient skeleton, and escapes the cavern to find herself trapped under a heavy tarp. She peeks out to see Simon is an apparent hostage in a cult procession headed by Nubia. Helen phones Zino only to find his dead body next to her. She is more determined to uncover the motives for the two ancient murders and Zino’s killer. Helen digs up a terracotta tablet with five Aristotle-like questions carved on it that will rock our world.

She escapes from cult members in a hail of bullets and spears before a showdown in a café. A WAITER (25) helps Helen by drugging most of the twenty modern-day cult members at their banquet ceremony. Helen confronts the armed Policeman and Simon. In Agatha Christie fashion, she first pieces together the two ancient cold-case murders and unravels the Eleusinian Mysteries, proving that asking too many questions can get you killed. In the surprise ending, Helen solves the two present-day murders implicating the Policeman and his high priest and recently ordained cult leader, Simon. Helen loses her new boyfriend but returns to the dig site, now a crime scene investigation, with a confident smile.

A MOTIVE TO DIE FOR