London, June 1835: In the interest of being a good neighbour, Charles checks in on Miss Haverstock, the elderly spinster who resides in the flat above his. But they find her decomposing corpse propped up, adorned in a faded wedding gown. As news of an escaped convict reaches the couple, Charles expects the prisoner, Ned Blood, may be responsible. But Kate suspects more personal motives. When a local blacksmith is arrested for the murder, his wife begs Charles and Kate to help. At the inquest, they meet Miss Haverstock's cold and haughty foster daughter, shadowed by her miserably besotted companion. Secrets from the old woman's past may hold the answers to this mystery. But Charles and Kate will have to risk their lives to unveil the truth.
"A complex and highly satisfying mystery. Redmond weaves Dickensian themes—wealth and poverty, love and rejection—seamlessly throughout the story while evoking a Victorian era that feels immediate and alive. Fans of Anne Perry will love this one." DIANNE FREEMAN, author of the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries.