At a lavish reception in New York, Lady Violet meets a brilliant young painter whose new portrait is the talk of the town. But who is the mysterious man with tiger eyes who won't leave his side? When both portrait and painter disappear, Violet and Garth investigate, and find themselves drawn deeper and deeper into the dangerous New York underworld.

Violet and her sidekick, Garth, are staying in a Parisian hotel with her parents when valuable jewels are stolen from guests. Never one to pass up an adventure, Violet is soon hot on the trail of the suspected diamond takers...!

Lady Violet Winters is resourceful, independent, and fearless. Her father's American ward, Garth, is her trusty companion and together they are constantly on the lookout for adventure, finding social conventions restrictive. Visiting Egypt with Violet's parents in the spring, they are soon drawn into intrigue. Arriving in Cairo, they visit the bazaar, packed with richly woven cloth, mounds of spices, and endless antique jewelry. Together, Violet and Garth witness a fellow steamer passenger in deep conversation with a trader and immediately suspect him of plotting. Later, they see him crocodile-hunting, as they sail down the Nile. When Violet accidentally falls into a tomb, she discovers him overseeing the theft of ancient treasures and making plans to smuggle it back to England. But try as she and Garth might, they can't work out where he's hidden the treasure. That is until a woman leads them to an exciting discovery and the secret of the crocodiles.