"Andre Kelly is a freelance photographer in New York working primarily for Camilla Jameson Porter, the much despised yet respected editor of the trendy magazine "Decorating Quarterly". When he is sent to the south of France for a photo shoot, Andre attempts to use some downtime to reacquaint himself with the young and attractive daughter of a former client, Bernard Denoyer on Cap Ferrat. Kelly soon realizes that the house is closed up, while the family spends the season in the Bahamas. As he sits in his car outside the gate and prepares to leave, he notices a caretaker holding something out on the front stoop. Using his camera to take closer look, Andre sees the man load what appears to be the family's priceless Cézanne painting, "Lady with Melons" into a plumber's truck. At first, he puts it out of mind, telling himself that it is none of his business.
When he returns to New York, Andre cannot easily forget about what he has seen. To alleviate his worries, he calls his beautiful, Barbadian agent Lucy Walcott, hoping to hear her opinion on the events he has witnessed. At her suggestion, he contacts Denoyer at his winter home in the Bahamas. Denoyer is not overly worried by Andre's story but mentions that he would be curious to see the photos of the event. Andre is in Cooper Cay, New Providence by the next day.
In person, Denoyer maintains his apathy upon hearing the details of Kelly's story. Andre returns to the States, unsure how to read the French magnate's the reaction. As Kelly returns home. Denoyer places a call to Rudolph Holtz. Introduced as a business man romantically affiliated with Camilla, Denoyer has hired Holtz to commision a copy of the Cézanne. The original will be sold on the black market, with the copy remaining at the Denoyer estate. Holtz reassures Denoyer that everything is going according to plan, although he is slightly perturbed by the fact that there are pictures floating around.
Soon afterwards, Andre returns home to his apartment in SoHo to discover that it has been broken into and ransacked. All of his photographic equipment has been stolen as well as many of his photographs, including those he took of Claude the caretaker with the Cézanne. Kelly comes to the conclusion that something fishy is occuring now and gets in touch with an older British art dealer named Cyrus Pine, hoping he will be able to help. Pine is looking for excitement, and thus, eager to join the chase. Lucy, now Andre's girlfriend, jumps aboard as well.
The author makes it clear that Holtz is involved in a much deeper plot, unbeknownst to Denoyer. Andre, Lucy, and Cyrus embark on an adrenaline-filled adventure throughout France. Along the way, the trio find themselves eating delicious French meals in between attempts on their lives made by a former French Legionnaire hired by Holtz. Will the criminals succeed in their acts of fraud or will Andre and his friends catch them in the end? "
DJ LoBraico, Resident Scholar
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