When in 1966, Florence is devastated by the worst flood in living memory, Kate Holland rushes to Italy to help in the rescue. Young and idealistic, she joins the 'Angels of the Flood', a group of volunteers intent on saving the city's priceless treasures. There she meets the glamorous Francesca, daughter of a rich and powerful family. But when Francesca meets a hideous death, Kate flees, vowing never to return.
Thirty years later, Kate is lured back. Now a respected art expert, someone has sent her a painting, priceless but crudely tampered with. What is the mysterious message at its heart? The trail leads Kate to her friend's tragic end and a family's dark secrets. Under the murky surface, beneath the veneer, lies the spectre of death, including her own.
