The burned body of a talented painting restorer is found in his studio with his throat slashed. His house in rural Sussex, contains 49 classical paintings. Are they real or just good forgeries? They are worth a fortune. July 1948, Mike and Valerie are settling down in Lewes, Sussex. Mike, an ex Canadian policeman and POW survivor, wants to try his luck as a private investigator finding the families of looted art. Valerie wants to use her art history degree to help Mike. Mike and Valerie track down a missing painting stolen by the Nazis in Holland when the British tried to reach the bridge in Arnhem in 1944. The surviving family member is only too pleased to have her painting back. Helping their police friends in Lewes solve the murder, brings them in contact with MI5, gangsters, burglars, and bent cops. Who killed the painter and why?