A fire at the Cathedral of Turin and the discovery of a strangely mutilated body attract the attention of Italy's special Art Crimes Department. The fire is only the latest in a troubling series of arsons and break-ins at the cathedral, which houses what millions believe to be the authentic burial shroud of Jesus Christ.

A cop as well as an art historian, department chief Marco Valoni leads a crack team of investigators in a race to solve a crime he's certain is about to shock the world. Someone is planning to steal the Holy Shroud, and Valoni's only suspect is currently serving out a sentence in a Turin prison. Following a trail from the earliest Christian communities to the highest councils of the Vatican and the boardrooms that rule the world, Valoni and his associates find themselves in the crossfire of an ancient conflict.

Translated by Andrew Hurley.