A gruesome murder case, with the only clue being a single feather.

London, 1914. The declaration of war with Germany has made the capital a dark, uncertain place. As the pressure on young men to enlist grows, Pastor Cardew holds a rally at his church. It ends in humiliation for Felix Simpkins when he receives a dreaded white feather - the ultimate sign of cowardice.

Meanwhile, DI Silas Quinn returns to New Scotland Yard after his recent sick leave to find the Special Crimes Department has been closed and his team absorbed into CID.

But when a body is discovered in Wormwood Scrubs the day after Cardew's rally, a white feather placed in its mouth, Quinn finds himself unable to take a back seat in the investigation. Was the murderer really a foreign spy . . . or someone closer to home?

The awe-inspiring final instalment in the Silas Quinn historical mystery series, perfect for fans of Abir Mukherjee, S. G. MacLean and S. J. Parris.

'An outstanding exploration of warring emotions, both external and internal.' Historical Novel Society