Throughout his career, forensic anthropologist and outspoken atheist Dr. Jon Bondurant has investigated many religious artifacts said to be real, but he knows better. So when he is invited by the Vatican to examine the Shroud of Turin, said to be the burial cloth that covered the body of Christ he is delighted for the opportunity to prove once and for all that the Shroud is a fake. But when he meets Domenika Josef, the beautiful and devout Vatican representative, he realizes his task will not be as straightforward as he once imagined. As Bondurant and his team examine every element of the Shroud, he and Domenika begin to see each other in a whole new light. As the evidence about the origin of this highly contested piece of fabric starts to pile up, he begins to realize that he's been seeing a lot of things incorrectly.



But when a sample of the blood from the Shroud—believed to be the real blood of Jesus Christ—vanishes, he realizes his problems are just beginning. The DNA traces in that sample could have earth-shattering consequences if they fall into the wrong hands. When Domenika vanishes, Bondurant is caught in a globe-spanning chase to rescue the women he loves—and stop the evil forces who have their own motives for bringing on the Second Coming.