Thirteen years after being drawn into the Mortimer network, Paul Barclay buys a house on the Island of Thirasia at Santorini, which is joined by a terrace to that owned by Joseph. Paul and Joseph plan books and the dark stranger Chris Patsos steps into their story. Hammond is working obsessively for the Mortimer Foundation in London and managing Antonio (Tony), the baby from Book One, into a Ballet career Paul burns to write a new book. He leaves London, and returns to Thirasia where he can write and work on a TV series with Joseph, who is in the throes of creating a new monster best seller. Holes have appeared in all their lives, work is there salvation. Aaron provides the solution to Tony's problem. Hammond arrives at Thirasia and they all await the arrival of Avalon, Rosenblum's yacht which is taking him to his death. Blair Edgar has taken a scalpel to all his characters. Each one is opened up, the defences ripped away, long hidden truths begin to emerge at last.