When art dealer Jonathan Argyll agreed to transport the Death of Socrates from a gallery in Paris to its new owner in Rome, he had no idea that such a worthless, nondescript painting would cause such a stir. First someone tries to steal it from him in a train station. Then the man he's delivering it to decides he doesn't want it - and is brutally murdered only a few hours later.

Now, not only is Argyll stuck with a painting that could only appeal to the most tasteless collector, but he also finds himself right in the middle of a murder investigation. As the body count rises, he must investigate the dark secrets lurking in the painting's past - before someone with truly horrible taste decides to put him out of the picture for good.