The heir to a vast but neglected real estate empire, John Roydon is new on the scene, brash, and dizzy with the prospects of power. From the moment he receives his inheritance, he pursues his vision with ruthlessness, crushing any who might stand in his way.

When a beguiling young conservator solicits his help in uncovering an unknown painting by one of the world's great masters, a chain of events is set in motion that threatens to destroy everything Roydon has built.

As the awful truth of the mysterious painting is slowly revealed, Roydon's private demons arise to terrorize him, confronting him at every turn. And yet, as his world begins to implode, he responds with willful, desperate recklessness, plunging him deeper into ruin.

Will he heed the writing on the wall, before it is too late?

In this modern retelling of the story of Belshazzar, award-winning author V.J. Black reminds us that the borderline between this world and the next may be closer than we think.