A dealer in art and antiquities, Storm Syrrell arranges her life as she
does her work - into neat, orderly categories. But when her grandfather
is murdered, all certainties are crushingly replaced by suspicions. She
struggles to understand his death - and decipher the frayed leather
journal she finds hidden in his vault. Storm soon realizes that, far
from being simply a discreet art broker, Sean Syrrell was a trusted
go-between in the highest ranks of business and government in Europe,
Africa, and the Middle East. But not all of Sean's associates were quite
so lofty. Enter Harry Bennett, a scruffy professional treasure hunter
just released from a Caribbean jail, followed by Emma Webb, a US
government lawyer with links to Interpol. Storm pushes her doubts aside,
locks the door to her Palm Beach art gallery, and opens herself to the
quest begun by her grandfather. Their trail leads them ever farther
afield - London, France, Istanbul, Cyprus - and ever deeper into danger.
The thrill of the search is haunted by Storm's determination to bring
Sean's murderers to justice. Storm and Harry in turn are targeted by an
unknown assassin and saved from death only by Harry's split-second
reactions. Their quest homes in on the Copper Scroll of Qumran and
controversial claims made by the Jewish historian Josephus. Hidden
beneath the dust and mysteries of two thousand years lies the reason
behind Sean Syrrell's murder and the find of a lifetime: a fortune in
gold of great historical significance. Storm begins to grasp the
potential magnitude such artifacts will have on contemporary religion
and politics - especially the competing historical claims to Jerusalem.
Some seek to claim the gold for the treasure it represents; others are
determined to destroy it. With the tangled motives of greed and power
now in focus, old allies become new enemies. Through this, something
unexpected tugs at Storm. The sacred relics represent a formidable
metaphor to an ancient faith; will her search include a renewal of her
own faith?
