Sherlock Holmes has seen more violent death than most men, but this time it's different. This time the victim is Meg. Mrs Hudson's beloved niece. Soon the detective discovers that Meg isn't the only woman to die by this killer's hand. There are others. All, like Meg, nurses recently home from South Africa where they served in the Second Boer War. The investigation leads Holmes down many unexpected paths, from the streets of the most vulnerable to the halls of royalty and, ultimately, to a killer beyond reason or compassion. This is the fourth in the Sherlock Holmes and Lady Beatrice series. Taken from Holmes's diaries they reveal secrets Dr Watson was never permitted to share.