Robert Rees, full-time librarian, part-time art restorer, is called in to finish a commission when his father goes into hospital – a pair of Elizabethan portraits on oak panelling, Adam Courtney and Ann Darcy. Trouble is, there's more interest in the paintings than Rob ever bargained for; a lot of people want to get their hands on such priceless treasures, and they're not always particular about their methods. Just as well he's got his brother's mysterious friend Fox on hand to look out for him, then, isn't it? Or, for that matter ... is it?