Faye Longchamp is once again at Joyeuse, the family plantation in Florida she labors so lovingly to restore. She’s doing archaeological work for pay, excavating a site once owned by her family. But her joy abruptly ends when thieves break into the home of her beloved mentor Douglass Everett and kill him, inexplicably ignoring the impressive display of artifacts and valuable artwork in his mansion. The thieves also left behind the magnificent emerald that Faye had just unearthed and brought to Douglass that fateful evening. All that’s missing are Faye’s field notes.

Then another murder quickly furnishes a clue that only Faye is likely to interpret, launching her on a treasure hunt connected to Marie Antoinette and to the history of the Confederacy.

Faye’s research rubs a number of people wrong, including some Civil War souvenir seekers. The killers have shown they will stop at nothing to get the information in Faye’s notes. It’s only a matter of time before they come for Faye.