American art appraiser, Patrick Donovan, is sent to Venice toauthenticate three classical paintings belonging to the famous Galleria dell' Accademia. Arriving during heavy rains, he finds the Galleria besieged by floods and closed to the public. With the floodwaters rapidly rising, he examines two Bellinis and confirms that they are indeed authentic but before he can get to Giorgione's The Tempest, it is stolen in a violent attackwhich leaves Donovan and Chiara, the beautiful daughter of the director of the Galleria, injured. Police and media interest is high and Donovan unwittingly finds himself at the centre of the investigation into the disappearance of the priceless masterpiece.