It is a cold wintry morning in the picturesque port town of Visby when art dealer Egon Wallin's battered and naked body is found suspended feet from the ground, hanging from the 'gate of love' in the town's old city walls.

Egyptologist Sheila Ramsay develops a newfound interest in Mesoamerican affairs after meeting an outspoken--and attractive--Mexico City curator, a harsh critic of museums that deal in stolen art. And her own museum gives her the perfect opportunity to see him again: a valuable Aztec manuscript needs to be returned to its rightful owners, the wealthy Ortega family. But things don't go as planned for Sheila south of the border: an anonymous note threatens...