Criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl is back...and so is his brilliant and dangerous enemy, Opal Koboi. At the start of the 4th adventure in the series, Artemis has no memory of the fairy people and has returned to his unlawful ways. He is preparing to steal a famous painting from a German bank, having no idea that his old rival, Opal, has escaped from prison and is exacting her revenge on all those who put here there, including Artemis. Meanwhile in the Lower Elements, Opal has planted a trap for Captain Holly Short and Commander Root of the LEPrecon fairy police. Although Holly is framed for a heinous crime she did not commit, her only concern is Artemis's safety. Can Holly prove the accusations false? Has Artemis finally been outsmarted, faced with a world he does not believe in?