"Francis Cornish was always goos at keeping secrets. From the well hidden family secret of his childhood to his mysterious encounters with a small town embalmber, a master art restorer, a Bavarian Countess, and various masters of espionage, the events in Francis' life were not always as they seemed.
In this wonderfully ingenious portrait of an art expert and collector of international renown, Robertson Davies has created a spellbinding tale of artistic triumph and heroic deceit. It is a tale told in stylish, elegant prose, endowed with lavish portions of Davie's wit and wisdom."