Matthias Curland has returned to Chicago from France upon the death of his mother, only to find the once-famous family architecture firm moribund and the once-revered Curland dynasty in a shambles. His aged father cares for nothing but books and whisky, his sister has withdrawn to raise her own family and thoroughbred dogs, and his alcoholic younger brother, Christian, has made a living out of "painting" wealthy older women. Matthias himself knows he is only second-rate as a fine artist, and his architectural designs seem to be too unconventional ever to be realized. Then he meets Trump-like billionaire Peter Poe and his ravishingly beautiful, enigmatic wife, Diandra. Poe's vast fortune is based largely on real estate and his shadowy involvement in casino gambling. His latest bid for power and glory revolves around a scheme to have Matthias design an architectural masterpiece that will dominate the striking Chicago skyline. But there is more to the project than Matthias knows, and the conflicts - both external and within his own psyche - that result from his fateful encounter with the couple make this Kilian's most intense, compelling novel yet.