Ruins of Grandeur

New York art sleuth Peter Grant and his capricious, estranged wife Claire find themselves deeply enmeshed in an intriguing yet deadly web of Venetian politics and crime in this tale of the privileged and powerful, the beautiful and the cursed. Peter is summoned to Venice by Lloyds of London to recover an original, priceless Giovanni Bellini masterpiece stolen from an Austrian archduke's 17th-century palazzo. Under the charm, elegance, and decadence of Venice, Peter pursues reconciliation with Claire only to find himself immersed in debauchery, theft, and murder. Calling upon his unique brand of savoir faire, Peter narrowly escapes capture and is able to track down the painting and the missing artifact. As both objects slip through his grasp, he discovers that Claire is about to become the next murder victim. Amid a series of perverse twists and turns, Peter must manage to untangle the mystery and unmask an unexpected villain before striking again.