The dawn of cinema is a magical time for some and a threat to others.
Paris is intoxicated by the golden age of the Belle Epoch, so the last thing Gavin and Oscar expect to encounter is fierce rivalry between magicians and the artless. Yet that's exactly what happens when they agree to search for a missing film made by the Lumière brothers.
A film that one man believes captured the ghost of his dead fiancée.
Forced into the investigation to earn a chance to bid on a coveted book, they're nevertheless happy to take on the task that brings Miss Wheeler into their lives again. But the friendly reunion is dampened by the presence of her ruthless employer, railway magnate John J. Defoe.
With suspects ranging from artless rivals and naive magicians to the ghost herself, the investigators must unravel the mystery before the first ever public screening of moving pictures, all while battling personal demons, passionate liaisons, and their own impending separation.
