The Zeitgeist is against Joseph: 1982 is an unfashionable time for his profession - even in Venice. A neighbouring prostitute who once glimpsed him at work could testify that Joseph's are not conventional abilities. Some would call him a magician, or a wizard, though a Renaissance magus might be nearer the mark. Suffice it to say that without an acquaintance with his special field, no magical operation could ever take place.
As Joseph lays his zealous plans against mortality, obstacles - mundane and supernatural - lie in wait for him and a novel of startling originality and exquisite mystery casts its spell.
