A priceless antiquity, a treasure beyond price, has disappeared from an Egyptian tomb. It was a British gentleman who conned
his way past the guards by pretending to be part of a special television crew doing a TV special. He appeared with (apparently) all the proper papers and permissions. Only afterwards is the theft discovered. The crime bears all the hallmarks of "Sir John Smythe," (in reality art museum employee, Vicky Bliss's, best friend, a
art and antiquities thief, John Tregarth). To defend his good name, so to speak, and to save an old friend from disgrace, they must find the real thieves and bring the antiquity in question back. And everyone in the art underworld is taking aim at them, one way or another, to get cut into the deal that they assume John is engaged in. Amid threats, attempted kidnapping, and various other mishaps, the pair must find not only who, but why, this was done, and recover the irreplaceable, amid a terrible and fiery controversy over the return of certain rare and famous antiquities to Egypt itself.
This is a very interesting mystery, with a great deal of human interest and an amusing look at the world of art and antiquities dealing, honest and otherwise.