It is 1928 and Phryne Fisher has packed her best dresses, her finest sportswear, and her elusive smile for a Sydney get-away. But, Dot's sister Joan has vanished. The neighbors think that Joan has run away with a secret lover, but Dot finds it highly unlikely that Joan would have willingly abandoned her children--leaving them in the neglectful care of their father. And what of the recent theft at the nearby university? The garnets belonging to the wife of the Dean have been missing now for days along with an irreplaceable illuminated book. Are these two mysterious happenings somehow related? Could black magic be at play?