William Warwick has always wanted to be a detective, and so decides that instead of becoming a barrister like his father and sister, he will join London's Metropolitan Police Force. After graduating from university, William begins a career that will define his life: from his early months on the beat, to his first high-stakes case in Scotland Yard's Art and Antiques unit. Investigating the theft of a priceless Rembrandt from the Fitzmolean Museum, he meets Beth Rainsford, a research assistant at the gallery, and falls hopelessly in love - while Beth guards a secret of her own that she's terrified will come to light. As William follows the trail of the missing masterpiece, he comes up against foes who are willing to bend the law to breaking point to stay one step ahead...

Devenu détective contre l'avis de son père, William Warwick, jeune recrue de la London Metropolitan Police Force, se voit confier sa première affaire à haut risque au sein de l'unité spécialisée dans les vols d'objets d'art. Enquêtant sur la disparition d'un inestimable Rembrandt dans un musée, il tombe amoureux de Beth Rainsford, une assistante de recherche employée par l'institution.