While walking the misty streets of Venice one night in search of a good martini, Brigham Stone, former lawyer, now artist living in Venice, sees a man walk through a brick wall. His wife, Rose, thinks it’s because he drinks too much. His gondolier friend, Mauro, is convinced that ghoulish creatures known as “shroud eaters” have returned to Venice after a centuries-long absence. 

Brigham struggles to succeed as an artist in Venice, and to gain representation in a gallery in the world of Italian protectionism. Thankfully, he finds a rich new patron, Charles Raymond. Charles seems like a such a kindly old man with money and a taste for art. But he has other, more sinister, tastes lurking behind his nice clothes and friendly manner. 

At the same time, strange things are happening in Venice. Bodies, butchered and devoid of blood, are found floating in the canals. Brigham is attacked by unknown assailants. He meets an alluring young woman who introduces him to the world of underground vampire clubs. 

Drawn into a hidden world of torture, blood, and murder, Brigham must grapple with a hideous evil that on the one hand grants him eternal life, but on the other hand threatens to take his humanity, his marriage, and his life.