The Fascinating Characters of the Novel

The Grand Master

Claude Henri Duc d’Grimavi is the Grand Master of the modern-day Knights Templar. A man in his mid-60s, he is exceptionally well-educated and has dedicated his life to his role within his Order. He will do whatever it takes to serve the interests of the Brotherhood.

The Lawyer

Peter Winzeler is a litigation lawyer retained by the Knights Templar to defend their claim of ownership of SWB. An athletic man in his early 40s, somewhat arrogant and patriotic, he is on the cusp of pivotal growth within both his personal and professional life.

The Expert

Elena Lehning is a banking history expert in her early 30s. Having lived a life clouded with question marks surrounding her personal life, she is a mature, level-headed individual, on the brink of discovering her destiny growing into herself as the plot develops.

The Historian

Belissa Ferla is an Italian academic with a PhD in Templar history. A modest, natural beauty with dirty blond hair, she is fluent in both Latin and Greek. Only 50 years old, she has a polite and gentle demeanor and a strong photographic memory.

The Senior Brother

Marco Lober is one of Grand Master’s closest brethren as his right-hand man and protector. He is in his early 40s, ex-military, with a strong build and single-minded determination. He is a master strategist and quick thinker.

The Junior Brother

Thomas Sander is the younger of the two protectors of the Grand Master. In his early 30s with a military background, he is quiet and composed, though sometimes impulsive, with exceptional physical strength and endurance. He feels unwavering loyalty to the Order.

The Secretary

Nina Bucher is Peter Winzeler’s secretary. A young woman in her early 30s with a degree in law and a laissez-faire personality, she has a witty sense of humor.

The Journalist

Lilith Bahti is an investigative journalist in her early 30s. A frantic chain smoker, a woman of Lebanese origin, third generation living in Switzerland, she has strong social leanings as a conspiratorial and pessimistic individual who is highly anti-establishment.

The Professor

Danilo Albero is an Italian Swiss academic and professor at the University of Lucerne. He is in his mid-40s and a school friend of Peter Winzeler. A rational, straight-thinking man, he has a profound interest in and knowledge of history.

The Mother

Helen Lehning is Elena Lehning’s mother. A Swiss individual who grew up in Zurich, she studied architecture at University College London, before relocating back to Switzerland to raise her daughter. She has angelic looks and a gentle demeanor.

The Chairman

Duke Robert William Burnthouse is the Chairman of the British Bank BRB. He is the descendant of a long line of bankers, a traditional man in his mid-60s and a strong supporter of traditional Lombard banking. He can be ruthless, pitiless, and highly impatient.

The CEO

Roberto Donati, the CEO of SWB, is in his mid-50s. A charismatic Italian-Swiss man with a competitive, impulsive demeanor and low threshold for stress, he is the epitome of a morally ambiguous banker desperately looking for a golden parachute.

The Vice President

Bilal Hassan Al-Sadasi is one of three Vice Presidents of the Qatari Bank QAB. He is an Oxford graduate investment banker with an Arabic background, but a love of British culture. He resides in Doha and has a close relationship with the Sheikh, the owner of QAB.

The Bank Lawyer

Dirk Hutter is a University of Zurich-educated lawyer and the General Counsel of SWB. A man in his early 60s, he has combed dirty blond hair and a round face. He is a proud man who, despite being slightly faint-hearted, is a strict professional.

The Henchman

James Manson is an unscrupulous hired gun with unique physical dexterity and skill.

The Head of Security

Andreas Brunner is an athletic, ex-military man who acts as Head of Security for SWB. In his early 40s, he is well-built with an army trim and ice-shard blue eyes.