At the winter solstice, South Mardians swordsmen weave their blades in an ancient ritual dance. But for one of them, the excitement proves too heady, and his decapitation turns the fertility rite into a pageant of death. Now Inspector Roderick Alleyn must penetrate not only the mysteries of folklore but also the secrets and sins of an eccentric group, including a surly blacksmith, a domineering dowager, and a not-so-simple village idiot.

Ngaio Marsh, a native New Zealander whose name means "flowering tree" in Maori, was a detective story writer and theatrical producer. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her classic mysteries. The continuing popularity of her hero, Scotland Yard's Inspector Roderick Alleyn, has assured her a lasting place among the world's top mystery authors.

Nadia May has been nominated as an AudioFile Golden Voice five years running and is a winner of thirteen AudioFile Earphones Awards. She is the co-founder of TheatreFirst, a theater company in the San Francisco Bay Area where she currently lives.