Returning to the Sanctuary of the Redeemers, Thomas Cale is told by the Lord Militant that the destruction of mankind is necessary; the only way to undo God's greatest mistake. Cale seemingly accepts his role in the ending of the world: fate has painted him as the Left Hand of God, the Angel of Death.

Paul Hoffman is the author of three previous novels, The Last Four Things (2011), The Left Hand of God (2010),The Golden Age of Censorship (2007), a black comedy based on his experiences as a film censor and The Wisdom of Crocodiles (2000), which predicted the collapse of the world financial system.