In 1671, the one and only attempt to steal the Crown Jewels failed. One-third of a millennium later, the 530-carat Cullinan One diamond and a raven disappear from the Tower of London. Her Majesty dispatches the debonair Duke of Kent to Paris. He charms Dominique Fontaine, resigned Prefect in private practice, into using her hostage negotiation skill for the return of the most sacred Crown Jewel without which the impending coronation cannot take place. Five days later, the one billion Pound Sterling ransom demand grows to one and a half billion when the 317-carat Cullinan Two vanishes. Worse yet, the queen who believes in a thirteenth century legend fears the Monarchy could collapse when another raven flees the Tower. When Dominique faces four suspects who loathe the monarchy for different reasons, her quest becomes a cauldron of intrigue on the edge of boiling over. She discovers that conflict between two suspects’ families since 1671 is still brewing 333 years later. Dominique finds the missing Raven slaughtered in the gardens behind Buckingham Palace. Is this a message that more cutting up of ravens or humans will follow? Or is it a warning that the thief is a step closer to cutting up the diamonds if the ransom is not paid? The last minutes of Dominique’s deadline are ticking away. Can she negotiate an exchange before the Cullinans are cut into unidentifiable pieces and can she act fast enough to prevent more deaths, ravens or humans—and save her own life which is now at risk?