At a private showing in the Louvre, Napoleon Bonaparte's great-great-grand niece Margot Steiner admires the painting of her famous ancestor while wearing a precious Ceylon sapphire necklace commissioned by the emperor himself. After getting caught in a commotion on the crowded staircase, however, Mrs. Steiner discovers that her necklace is gone and the suspicious young woman who started the commotion has melted away into the throng.

Rune Sarasin is new to Paris, but not new to stealing priceless jewels. She has spent the last few years plying her trade in the fast-paced city of Bangkok, but after unwittingly stealing from the ruthless smuggler Charles Lemaire, she now must hunt down the gems that he requests until she repays what she owes. But when Lemaire demands that she now steal sapphire earrings to match the necklace, Rune realizes that he will never willingly let her go.

Taking down a man with near unlimited resources is not a job for a young woman on her own, who now must hide in the shadows. With the help of an old friend and some new and unlikely alliances, Rune finds herself in a cat and mouse game around all of Europe, from Paris to Mallorca, to Marseille, to Amsterdam, and Berlin. Caught up in the world of smuggling, drug dealing, and shady businessmen, Rune fights to stay one step ahead of both the police and Lemaire.