In the quiet chill of a wintry dawn in medieval Germany, Hildegard, a seer, is troubled by ominous signs gathering in the dim and snowy light. A dire warning fastened to the limb of a pigeon comes to the monastery of Disibodenberg. It foretells of a plotting nobleman and his fanatical obsession with the ancient Book of Noah, a powerful relic guarded for countless generations by a mysterious Jewish sect, the Essenes. Volmar, Hildegard's trusted scribe, and the librarian Cormac flee Mainz after finding the dead body of a stranger with irrefutable ties to the brotherhood of the Knights Hospitallers of Jerusalem. As more fragmented clues unravel, Hildegard and Volmar are plunged into separate investigations unearthing a seething plot to stir up another brutal uprising against the beleaguered Jews of the region. From Leper's Island to a haunted monastery, Volmar and Hildegard once again face the specter of Death. Wrestling with prophecy and forbidden love, the two sleuths forcefully challenge the powerful and the greedy with clear reason and stalwart faith.

"Dyrek draws readers into the world of medieval monastic life with a keen knowledge of the era and an eye for compelling characters. Opening the book will feel like stepping back into a long ago world of mystery, murder, and faith."

A. LaFaye, award-winning author of Worth.