While the Thea sisters are at the excavation site of a dig at Hierapolis, Professor Brenninger unearths a series of priceless and very old figurines, but the Thea Sisters think the discovery may be a scam and investigate.

On summer vacation in Scotland, the Thea sisters are intrigued by a tapestry that is really a treasure map supposedly leading to a hidden alabaster garden where an ancient treasure is buried, and the story of Aurora Beatrix Lane, an adventurous explorer mouse--and when the tapestry is stolen they set out to find the treasure using the explorer's diary as a guide.

Thea Stilton and her sisters journey to the land of Minwa, a realm linked to the legends of Japan and wrapped in mysteries and enchantments, to discover why the realm's special lotus flowers are disappearing--and why their diappearance seems to be threatening the whole land.