Mara Document, The Paperback / softback

At a remote stone circle on the Tuscan estate of the Romagnesi family, a small boy named Sergio is destined to make a horrific discovery that will eventually cost him his life. Ben Schaeffer, a lapsed British TV documentary maker, is bequeathed a file of papers including photographs of a copper scroll thought to be over 2,000 years old.

The file contains a confused account of the scroll’s history and provides obscure hints of its whereabouts.

A deathbed letter from his friend persuades Ben to embark on a quest. Lorenzo (Enzo) Cortesini, a Florence-based surgeon, bears reluctant responsibility towards the Romagnesi family who covets possession of the scroll to further both an extreme religious cult and political aspirations. Enzo and Ben join forces in the search for the scroll.

As the mystery of its location is revealed, disturbing information also begins to emerge about its nature.

The reason for Sergio’s tragic death is linked to the scroll, but only when it is finally located and examined does the full extent and significance of its content become clear.

This demands radical decisions.