In Italy the Cardinal Vicar of Rome is assassinated during a papal celebration In Los Angeles entertainment lawyer Harry Addison receives a desperate message from his long estranged brother Father Daniel Addison a Vatican priest Hours later a tour bus with Father Daniel aboard explodes on the road to Assisi When Harry arrives in Italy to claim his brother s body he discovers that not only may Father Daniel still be alive but he is the prime suspect in the murder of the Cardinal Vicar In a sudden turn Harry finds himself framed for the murder of an Italian policeman Now on the run and on his brother s trail Harry is thrust into a terrifying world of horror and deception where an international terrorist hunts Father Daniel as relentlessly as the authorities and where a monstrous conspiracy arises from the very heart of the Vatican