A professor of architecture and history at a university outside of Chicago, Josef Pachin suddenly finds his marriage and career unraveling. Still reeling from the death of his parents in a fiery car crash, Josef is further shocked to discover that they were survivors from Auschwitz. Josef retreats to the solitude of a Polish diner to ponder his life and meets the elderly Ada Bolensky. Ada knew his parents in the concentration camps, and she may hold the key to learning about his past. But what secret did they take to their grave about Gaudi's Puzzle?
More importantly, why is the secret sect known as the Royal Order of Gaudi trying to kill him? Traveling from Poland to Spain in search of the answers, Josef narrowly escapes with his life. He races against time to solve the riddle before the portal to the puzzle is sealed for eternity.