A Victorian Murder Mystery.
The grisly murder of William Weems drew little pity. A ruthless moneylender, he preyed upon the poor of Clerkenwell and was not averse to blackmail when the chance came his way. Few would have taken any notice, had not the Chief of Police at Bow Street been approached by an old friend for a curious favour.
What could link peer of the realm Lord Sholto Byam with the sordid usurer? The situation is delicate enough to call in Bow Street's best, Inspector Thomas Pitt. One thing is soon clear: there are forces at work beyond the common motives of greed and fear of scandal. Can Charlotte Pitt amass enough evidence from her forays into Society to enable her husband to prove the unbelievable truth? Or will the hidden layers of conspiracy triumph, corrupting the Government and justice itself?