Charlotte Milton has the job a million women would love to have. As editor-in-chief of a prestigious publication, she’s covering Paris Fashion Week. Everything is rainbows and brand names until a mysterious – hot? – stranger approaches her with an offer she literally cannot refuse: help him steal the exquisite and priceless painting, Mistress in a Red Dress, or watch her coworker die. In a blink, the Mistress is gone and so is Charlotte’s reputation.

Mortified to find herself in hot water with the police and, even worse, trending on social media, she vows to clear her name and retrieve the stolen painting. With the help of Professor Jack Carey, British art historian and occasional Interpol consultant, the two bounce from the feverish streets of Paris to a ritzy casino in Monaco to the stunning city of Dubai, in search of the Mistress and those who snatched her.

But the thief has plans of his own when it comes to Charlotte.