It's 1889 Brisbane and Dr. Hamish Hart and Dr. Rita Cartwright attend the inaugural exhibition of the Queensland Arts Society, where they encounter the enigmatic Countess Isabella de la Vega. The evening takes a dark turn when a seemingly insignificant painting disappears from the exhibit. The next morning, the artist behind the missing piece is found dead on the mudflats of Hamilton Reach, prompting Hamish to perform the autopsy.

As Hamish, Rita, and Sergeant James Bellamy delve into their investigation, they uncover the fact that the victim was secretly involved with Carlos Perez, a political fugitive from Spain. The plot thickens when another unexpected and violent death occurs at the exciting new tourist attraction of Queensport Aquarium.

The trio realizes that Perez is not the only one with hidden secrets. The deceased girl's mother harbors secrets of her own, and Rita's friend Anne-Marie also has mysteries to conceal. Even for the Countess, all is not as it appears. Can Hamish, Rita, and Bellamy unravel the interconnected mysteries of these two murders before the lives of everyone involved begin to unravel?