"A Grand Read ... mix of history, magic, and adventure ... a very unpredictable story. 4 stars" -- Amy's Bookshelf Reviews
"...for anyone who loves Elizabethan history, intrigue, [and] mystery... 4/5 stars" -- Kleio B'wti, Welovequalitybooks
"... a fascinating blend of history and magic, adroitly mixing fact with fiction...Game of Thrones fans should feel right at home ... so too [should] those of Eco's The Name of the Rose." -- Readper
"...had me hooked ... filled with action ... managed to immerse me [like] a movie ... a great read for history and fantasy lovers ... 4/5 stars" -- Bibliotherapy Book Review
"Filled with action from the beginning. 4/5 Stars" -- Teegan, Goodreads
"An interesting concept with well incorporated fantasy aspects. 4/5 stars" -- Healther L. Barksdale
"Bachman has a singular talent for describing action scenes in a way that get the heart racing." -- Liliyana Shadowlyn, The Faerie Review
"Well researched historically accurate Elizabethan era thriller! I would recommend this a lot. 4/5 Stars" JR, Goodreads
In 16th-century England, Queen Elizabeth's former spymaster, Hertford, is recruited by a court faction, the Owls, to recover the Shroud of Turin from Rome before a rival faction can do so and use its supernatural power to usurp the throne. He succeeds, but when a third party starts killing off people from both sides to take the Shroud for himself, Hertford discovers that Gotthard Kettler, an old enemy of England, has reemerged to destroy everyone.
However, when the Owl that Hertford tries to alert is murdered, Kettler frames the old spymaster. Hunted by vengeful members of both factions and suspected by Elizabeth herself, Hertford is forced to go it alone as he pursues Kettler through catacombs, underground churches, and London back alleys across Europe, seeking to stop the conspiracies against him, the factions, and the queen by uncovering the secrets of the Shroud that link them all.