Molly Doyle crossed a continent to escape trouble, but it's becoming increasingly dangerous to be in the antiques business in her small adopted corner of California. The murder of a friend and fellow antiques dealer has shaken Molly to the core. And matters aren't helped any by the arrival of her deceitful, long-estranged sister - who sticks around only long enough to dump Molly's twelve-year-old niece before vanishing to parts unknown. Actually, Emma is a bright spot in these dark days, since she's clever, endearing, and shows a natural aptitude for antiques work.

But the very unnatural death of yet another dealer - a rather shady one this time with possible ties to Molly's family - has the intrepid Ms. Doyle acting as sleuth once again... before a killer decides she's the next item to be taken out of circulation permanently.