On the way we meet a gun-toting urban professional with a weakness for internet discussion groups; a chemistry student turned online drug dealer; a pair of slacker post-grads; a federal agent on the take; a cadre of well-armed mercenaries; an unstoppable hitman; and a gang of trigger-happy young Taoists.

This unlikely group is brought together by their quest for the meaning of life, discovered in the remote highlands of South America by an infamous 19th century explorer, which is now said to be concealed in the inaccessible spaces of a hidden website on the perimeters of a shadow Internet. But something soon becomes clear: there are others who will stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden.

`Smart, sexy, and as funny in spots as it's dark in others. But I love this book because it has soul, too. It's not afraid to ask the big questions about the Meaning of Life. And here's the kicker: it's not even afraid to answer them.' - Valerie Sayers