Penrose and Pyke must put aside their own problems in a race against the clock to rescue a kidnapped infant.

When private detective Charlie Penrose Pyke is asked to investigate the kidnapping of a child, his instinct is to refuse. As their first wedding anniversary approaches, Charlie fears for the fragile state of his wife, Grace, for whom this heart-breaking case could be the final straw. But how can he let the desperate parents down, when they have struggled for years to conceive only to have their baby snatched away? Besides, Charlie is their only hope, because the ransom note threatens their precious son's life if they contact the police.

A family torn apart, a case taking fresh twists and turns by the hour, and only four days to identify the kidnapper. Could it possibly get any worse? And then, the unthinkable happens.

The Penrose & Pyke Mystery series is set during a remarkable period of social upheaval in 1890s New Zealand.