Once again Palm Beach, exclusive winter resort of the rich and famous, is the background for serious crime. Molly Miller and her nephew, Scott, attend a dinner party at the house of her friend, Daphne Caplan. The next morning two paintings from the famous Caplan collection are reported missing. But worse is to come. Palm Beach police searching the grounds discover a body in the garden. FBI Agent Emilio Gonzalez is called in to investigate. All house guests and staff at Daphne's villa are under suspicion: her goddaughter, Lucinda, her stepson and his wife, her late husband's former secretary. a visiting Polish student, and the trusted housekeeper, Betty. Then there's Stephen van Dreesen. He may be an old friend of the family, but can he - or his assistant for that matter - really be trusted? What are the Polish girl, Ewa, and Betty, hiding? What troubled the murder victim before he died and why did he quote Maupassant? Agent Gonzalez seeks help from flirtatious widow and accidental sleuth, Molly Miller. She knows the scene and she is a sharp observer. The trail leads to Miami, where the agent and the super sleuth scrutinize an auction house, the art business, and even the diamond trade, all of which leads them to a dramatic finale that unfolds six months later in New York City.