Out of the searing heat and sandstorms of Baghdad’s infamous summer of 2003 comes a gripping tale rooted in a 2,500-year-old conspiracy and its little-known but profound significance for the world.
John Madison is a Turkish-American art dealer raised by his much older brother, Samuel, a respected archaeologist. Caught between Samuel’s obsession with saving a priceless relic looted from Iraq’s National Museum and a deadly game of revenge staged by his childhood friend, John must solve a puzzle to find the link between a modern-day witch and an ancient one.
Aided by Tomas, an archaeologist, and Ari, an Iraqi photojournalist—two men with their own secrets to hide—John races against time to decipher a biblical prophecy that leads to the dark history behind the science of alchemy: Is the notion of turning lead into gold possible after all?
Against his will, John returns to Iraq, where a fabulous treasure trove awaits discovery and where the truth behind a famous story the world believes to be a myth is finally revealed.
