Alessandra Rossetti, a courtesan, becomes entangled in a conspiracy that threatens to destroy seventeenth century Venice. She alone has the power to reveal a Spanish plot. Centuries later, Claire Donovan is writing her dissertation on the young courtesan. She knows that Alessandra wrote a secret letter exposing the Spanish conspiracy. But how Alessandra learnt of it, or what happened to her afterwards is still a mystery. Claire hopes to uncover the secrets of the courtesan's life within Venice's ancient libraries and prove Alessandra deserves her place in history. But upon arrival in Venice, Claire learns that Cambridge professor Andrew Kent is to present a paper, asserting that Alessandra was a co-conspirator of the Spanish. If he can prove this, Claire's work and academic career will be ruined. She knows she must discover the facts in order to save her own future. And as she races to find the truth, the beauty and romance of Venice will also bring the passion back into Claire's own life.