"Max Willem, a young art student in Montreal at the end of the 1960s, becomes obsessed with outward appearances - with make-up, costume, and masks of all kinds. For him, outward reality, and in particular that of the opposite sex, is composed of many veils of illusion and artifice through which he must see if he is to feel fully alive. At the same time, Max discovers his exceptional talent for art forgery.

Moving to New York, he becomes a tool in the hands of a powerful international ring dealing in forged art, and suffers from the loss of his own artistic integrity. Himself seduced as much as a seducer, how can Max escape and redeem his artistic soul?"--BOOK JACKET.