Jessica vacations in Italy, where she joins a tour that takes her to a variety of private homes, restaurants, and rural churches where lesser-known Italian masterworks are displayed. Her idyllic time is interrupted by a pair of young Italian gunmen who steal a painting off a church wall, killing a retired policeman in the process. Agreeing to help identify the crokks, at a later date should they be caught, Jessica returns to Cabot Cove and tries to put the shocking experience behind her, but it won't be left in the past.

"Based on the Universal Television series created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson & William Link."--Title page.