Mike Mackenzie, Alan Cruikshank, and Robert Gissing are friends who meet after attending an art auction. Over drinks they have the idea of stealing the art that is buried away in a warehouse because there is no room for it in the city's museum. They plot instead to steal three paintings from the National Gallery in Edinburgh. They devise a plan to substitute the real paintings with forgeries. They are forced to add the most notorious gangster to their team since he adds muscle and weapons. The team is plagued by the persistence of a detective who is determined to bring down the gangster boss. All of which leads to possible betrayals and double crosses.

This is a fast-paced gripping story of an elaborate art heist. It is a story of double crosses. The story is full of twists and turns, and suspense, keeping the reader unsure of the outcome until the end.