The coauthor of the Destroyer series brings an age-old quest to modern-day New York in this “brilliant [and] imaginative” thriller (TheNew York Times Book Review).
When a jewel-encrusted, gold saltcellar appears for sale in New York, speculation around the piece soars. The gems alone make the vessel incredibly valuable, but some are convinced something even more priceless hides within: nothing less than the legendary Holy Grail. After the owner of the piece is brutally murdered and the cellar taken, speculation turns to conviction—and a deadly hunt for the missing artifact is on.
Claire Andrews knows nothing of riches, glory, or mythical relics; she only wishes to avenge the death of her father, who was killed after putting his gold saltcellar on the market. She enlists the help of NYPD detective Artie Modelstein to hunt down the men responsible. But their search for truth lands them unwittingly in the middle of a mystery that has spanned centuries—a lethal quest for power from which no one escapes unscathed . . .
Filled with sharp allusions, breathtaking suspense, and clever twists, this is a “surprisingly gripping” fast-paced thriller perfect for fans of The DaVinci Code and The Rule of Four (Kirkus Reviews).
Richard Ben Sapir (1936–1987) was born in Brooklyn, New York, and he graduated from Columbia University. He worked as a journalist for the Associated Press before becoming a fiction writer. He was the coauthor, with Warren Murphy, of the Destroyer series of men’s action-adventure novels, which later became the basis for a movie titled Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. Sapir’s first hardcover book was Bressio, followed by his favorite, The Far Arena. His novel The Body was adapted into a film starring Antonio Banderas and Derek Jacobi. Sapir’s fourth novel was Spies.
The author died shortly after submitting the manuscript for his final and highly acclaimed work, Quest, which his editors found to be so well written that no changes were made before publication. It was named an alternate selection for the Book of the Month Club. That same year, the New York Times called Sapir “a brilliant professional.”