The guilt pangs of an aging New York businessman as he looks back on a life of dishonest dealings, cruelty to his family and betrayal of a friend in wartime. A study of the way conscience can catch up in one's old age by a popular Icelandic author who writes in English.

Marvin Deitz has some serious problems. His mob-connected landlord is strong-arming him out of his storefront. His therapist has concerns about his stability. He's compelled to volunteer at the local Children's Hospital even though it breaks his heart every week. Oh, and he's also the guilt-ridden reincarnation of Geoffroy Thérage, the French executioner who lit Joan of Arc's pyre in 1431. He's just seen a woman on a Los Angeles talk show claiming...