WINNER of 5 AWARDS! -- Discovery of a long-hidden secret initiates a chain of events that could end in civilization's collapse - a global apocalypse. "Could hardly put it down to eat!" "Amazing thriller... full of excitement, and an immensely intriguing plot." Dan Lovel, an ex-Security Agent of Gypsy heritage, receives an extraordinary request from World Bank executive, Astrid Desmarais, whose life he once saved. Astrid wants Dan to steal four books from the locked collection of “forbidden books” in a monastery in Prague. The books are an inventory of artworks stolen by Napoleon and now housed in the Louvre. Her plan is to return those works to their rightful owners. Dan reluctantly agrees. Astrid then insists that Dan work with her daughter, Martine, an antiquities expert at the Louvre. Casually, she mentions there might also be a fifth book. Dan and Martine succeed in breaking in and grabbing all five books but are spotted by the monastery’s monks who, with their powerful allies, pursue them to the German border. Near the border, Dan manages to secure refuge in a small Gypsy community but soon discovers that he is in the sights of a professional assassin. Dan and Martine escape, but only when they reach Paris do they realize it’s the fifth book everyone is after. And with good reason. - It holds a centuries-old secret whose discovery unleashes the threat of catastrophic chaos and even nuclear war. Dan and Martine are now in the eye of the storm. They must fight to survive against crushing odds. And they are forced to make choices that tear at their very souls. The stakes could not be higher. _____________________________________________________________ "I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I WAS SO THOROUGHLY ENGROSSED." --AF "UTTERLY GRIPPING. The reader is plunged into BREATHTAKING ACTION. One of the standout things ... The reader is led into the mysterious gypsy culture and I found this aspect intriguing." --M. Hernandez-Alvarez "SUPER FUN TO READ! ... AND A LOT OF BADASSERY.” --Myra "IMMENSELY ENJOYED GETTING TUGGED INTO DAN LOVEL'S WORLD." --Amy Williams "A PLETHORA OF AWARDS. ... Superior writing and engaging storyline, the novel's critical acclaim will be of no surprise to its readers." --The US Review of Books "EX LIBRIS SHINES because of its stellar cast of characters and Oehler's many twists. Readers will be unable to put the book down."--BookLife Prize Critic EX LIBRIS Awards & Accolades 1ST PLACE - Global Book Awards (previously NY City Book Awards) GOLD MEDAL - Global Book Awards (previously NY City Book Awards) FINALIST - Eric Hoffer Book Award SEMI-FINALIST - Kindle Book Reviews Award B.R.A.G. MEDALLION RECOMMENDED - US Review of Books. RECOMMENDED rating given for "Outstanding books" that are "compelling and lasting reads." Awarded "less than 10 to 20% of the time."