In a snowbound village in the German mountains, a young woman discovers
an extraordinary secret. Before she can reveal it, she disappears. All
that survives is a picture of a mysterious medieval playing card that
has perplexed scholars for centuries.
Nick Ash does research for the FBI in New York. Six months ago his
girlfriend Gillian walked out and broke his heart. Now he's the only
person who can save her--if it's not too late. Within hours of getting
her message, Nick finds himself on the run, delving deep into the past
before it catches up with him.
Hunted across Europe, Nick follows Gillian's trail into the heart of a
five-hundred-year-old mystery. But across the centuries, powerful forces
are closing around him. There are men who have devoted their lives to
keeping the secret, and they will stop at nothing to protect it.
