Description for WINTER PALACE by T Davis Bunn: What price must be paid in the struggle for power, for wealth, for souls, in the fragmented new Russia?Jeffrey Sinclair could scarcely believe his good fortune. Two years in London had won him success in the international antiques trade, a new understanding of faith, and the love of the beautiful Katya Nichols. But his world is suddenly shaken when Alexander Kantor, his enigmatic relative and employer, falls seriously ill. Jeffrey is left with enormous responsibilities for the exclusive antique shop and its mysterious clients. A romantic honeymoon visit to Monte Carlo leads to a seemingly straightforward assignment. Jeffrey is asked to reclaim the winter palace of a Russian nobleman, whose family lost everything when fleeing the Revolution. But does Prince Markov merely seek to recover his estate, or is embroiled in a far more sinister plot? Jeffrey is thrust into the turbulence of modern-day St. Petersburg. He is enchanted by the artistry and architecture of its czarist past, but discovers a dangerous collusion between former Communist Party members, KGB agents, and gangs of criminals and black conspiracy that values power above justice, wealth above human life. In an atmosphere of fear and suspicion, can even the church provide a safe haven?
