When the director of the theology department at the university in Aix is found dead, Judge Verlaque is dumbfounded. Professor Moutte was about to announce the recipient of both a fellowship, and his position as Director - which includes the coveted apartment in a 17th century mansion. The prospective recipients and others close to Moutte make up a long list of suspects, but Verlaque isn’t convinced any of the eager students or desperate teachers are capable of murder, and he must dig deeper. With Marine’s help - and that of her plucky mother - Verlaque uncovers a world that proves more complicated than university politics.