Milan, 1962. Detective David Montorsi is obsessed with the murder of a young child found buried under a WWII monument. His lone investigation leads him to an elusive figure named Ishmael. Milan, 2001. Detective Guido Lopez investigates the random killing of a stranger on the street. He becomes ensnared in a plot-orchestrated by Ishmael-which will ultimately threaten the security of the West.

In their parallel quests to uncover the identity of the killer, both men are led ever closer to the seemingly omnipotent yet invisible Ishmael-who may not only direct the deaths of innocents but determine the fates of nations. In the Name of Ishmael features two interlocking stories that weave a gripping conspiracy plot with a serial killer narrative-culminating in a climax that delivers an astonishing surprise.