Antiquities dealer Micah Hornblower acquires a rare copy of a sixteenth century play that may have been signed by the author—William Shakespeare. The evidence indicates that the signature is a phony, but a frightening demand for the book sends Hornblower to Joth Proctor for advice. Shortly after Hornblower persuades Joth to safeguard the book, the book dealer is found dead in suspicious circumstances and Hornblower’s home and business show signs of a hurried search. Unsure of exactly what they have or why it’s worth a man’s life, Joth and DP Tran retain the book in the face of both legal and extralegal efforts to obtain it. Meanwhile, Hornblower’s attractive and unmarried niece inherits her uncle’s bookstore and the deadly risk that comes with ownership of the book. When Joth and DP learn the true source of the book’s value, they realize both lives and the judgment of history are at stake.