12th November 2019. The worst flooding in 50 years hits the city of Venice. The body of Dr Jennifer Whiteread - a young British art historian, specialising in the depiction of angels in Venetian painting - is found floating in a flooded antique bookshop on the Street of the Assassins. As the local police struggle to restore order to a city on its knees, Nathan Sutherland - under pressure from the British Ambassador and distraught relatives - sets out into the dark and rain-swept streets in an attempt to discover the truth behind Whiteread's death. The trail leads to the 'Markham Foundation', a recent and welcome addition to the list of charities working to preserve the ancient city.