An old lady, Victoria Wentworth, is murdered on the eve of 9/11, because she is in debt to a bank owned by a ruthless man, Fenston, whose real purpose is to own her famous Van Gogh painting. He has used the same modus operandi in the past too. Anna Petrescu, an art historian working for Fenston, learns about his horrendous deeds and decides to restore the painting to its rightful owner. The 9/11 attacks give her a cover to fake her own death and make an attempt to sell the masterpiece to a worthy owner. FBI agent, Jack Delaney, is on her trail, and has to figure out her true motive. A homicidal assassin, hired by Fenston, also pursues Anna.
Archer’s highly anticipated first novel since his release from prison, falls short of expectations. The “twists and turns”, in this novel have been seen countless times before and are highly predictable. Also, the fact that Anna manages to repeatedly evade an extremely skilled assassin, seems utterly implausible. The plot seems to be developed by stringing together bits and pieces from other thrillers. All in all, not one of Archer's best efforts.