A body surfaces in a quiet Venetian canal at dawn.
The police call it an accident.
Julian Vale - a risk consultant trained to read what others overlook - knows better.
When the dead man is identified as a respected art restorer, Vale uncovers a detail no one wants to examine: the victim was days away from authenticating a priceless Renaissance painting. A painting already insured. Already sold. Already accepted as real.
The problem?
The painting is a forgery.
As Vale digs deeper into Venice's elite art circles, he uncovers a network hiding in plain sight - protected by foundations, legitimized by insurers, and enforced by silence. Paintings aren't stolen. They're created. And anyone who threatens the illusion is quietly erased.
With a nine-figure sale days away and enforcers watching his every move, Vale must decide what stopping the lie is worth - when the market, the institutions, and the law all want it to stay buried.
Because in the art world, authenticity is negotiable -
and truth is the most dangerous currency of all.
Perfect for readers of Daniel Silva, Joseph Kanon, and Steve Berry - a sleek, high-stakes thriller of art, power, and the price of saying no.
