A blow to the head with a block of amethyst has left multibillionaire Nathan Barrister dead-while nearby, a vault, its door ajar, sits filled with priceless paintings, jewelry, and other treasures. Lieutenant Eve Dallas's husband, Roarke-who misspent his youth in Ireland as a scrappy thief-recognizes at least two stolen pieces among the hoard. The crime scene suggests a burglar caught in the act. But only one item seems to be missing. Then it's revealed that the vault had actually belonged to the victim's late father-and no one in the household knew it was there until a recent remodeling project exposed it. To protect the family name and business, they explain to Eve, they'd been looking for a way to return the ill-gotten gains anonymously and avoid the police. But now the police are all over their elegant house, and have a bigger, bloodier mystery to solve. By all accounts, Nathan Barrister was a good man, a generous employer, a devoted husband and father. As for his father-he clearly had secrets. Now it's up to Eve and her team to find out if those secrets got Nathan killed-and if it was a crime of passion or revenge.