Nine months ago, within hours of purchasing a valuable antiquarian diary for their grandfather, Paula Sinclair's brother, Eric, was killed by a car bomb and the diary disappeared.

Private investigator, Luc Dupré, along with the police, insist the diary was destroyed in the explosion. Paula isn't convinced. No trace of either the diary or Eric's briefcase was found in the rubble, and she takes it to mean the diary was stolen. The diary wasn't insured and with the bank still owed half a million dollars, Paula cannot sit idly by and watch her beloved grandfather forced into bankruptcy.

Following a mysterious phone call and a series of cryptic postcards, Paula returns to Paris to hear a rumor that the diary is being offered for sale by secret auction. She also finds out that the diary once belonged to Luc's family. When her relationship with Luc takes a sudden change from business to personal, she's positive he's using her and his job to get it back.