When murder comes calling, a spinster gets a life.
Victorian England, 1861. Marry or become a governess. These are the choices for Esther Hardy-and neither option appeals. So when a dying woman turns up on her doorstep, Esther plunges into a life of danger and potential romance.
The tragic victim was long suspected of killing her aristocratic lover. Now, eleven years later, she herself has been murdered in a brutal attack. To unmask the killer, Esther must battle both underworld villains and secretive elites. How is the enigmatic gentleman she keeps encountering connected to the dead woman? Is he trying to help or hinder the inquiry? And why is Esther strangely drawn to him?
Unfortunately, no one can ever be safe in a city shrouded with deception as murky as the London fog. With skill and luck, Esther will protect her family and emerge as a powerful woman detective. Or die trying.
From the author of the John Chase/Penelope Wolfe Regency mysteries comes the first installment in a compelling amateur sleuth series.