"In this ingenious literary thriller . . . [the] murder of a Shakespearean scholar...and an unlikely romance . . . make for a gripping, satisfying read." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) A fire destroys a New York City rare bookstore—and reveals clues to a treasure worth killing for. . . . A disgraced scholar is found tortured to death. . . . And those pursuing the most valuable literary find in history are about to cross from the harmless mundane into inescapable nightmare. From the acclaimed, bestselling author of Tropic of Night comes a breathtaking thriller that twists, shocks, and surprises at every turn as it crisscrosses centuries, from the glaring violence of today into the dark shadows of truth and lies surrounding the greatest writer the world has ever known. "If you love books—their physical presence, the craft of making them, the art of collecting them . . . make room on the shelf for a new guilty pleasure from Michael Gruber . . . smart . . . [and] packed with enough excitement to keep your inner bibliophile as happy as a folio in vellum." —Ron Charles, The Washington Post "While the novel will appeal to those who enjoyed The Da Vinci Code or The Rule of Four, critics agree that its lively dialogue, compellingly flawed characters, sense of humor, and intelligent exploration of religion and cryptology elevate it far above the genre's standard fare. Readers expecting car chases, kidnappings, globe trotting, sex, and murder won't be disappointed, either." — Bookmarks magazine
