In The Mandylion by Joe Giordano, half-siblings Anthony and Valentina Provati grapple with both family secrets and personal temptations. Anthony, a successful art gallery owner in Manhattan’s West Village, is unexpectedly drawn back into a dangerous world when Sophia, a mysterious woman from his past, reappears. Sophia, with whom Anthony shares a complex and volatile history, offers him a million-dollar deal to help authenticate a valuable artifact. The proposition pulls Anthony into the high-stakes underworld of art dealing, a world filled with deception, betrayal, and hidden dangers. As the tension builds, Valentina, Anthony’s tech-savvy sister, steps in, using her sharp instincts and protective nature to monitor her brother’s precarious situation. Through their interactions, Giordano weaves a story of loyalty, desire, and the shadowy forces of the past that threaten to unravel their futures. The story delves into the complexity of familial bonds, personal ambition, and the moral quandaries faced by Anthony as he confronts his past while balancing his commitments to his family and the allure of the risky, seductive world Sophia represents.