The twenty-first instalment in Anne Perry's acclaimed Thomas Pitt series

When evidence presented in court by Thomas Pitt leads to the execution of a distinguished soldier and archaeologist, the retaliation from the hanged man's influential friends is swift. The murderer was a member of the Inner Circle, a group of men whose power extends further than Pitt realised was possible, and, within days, he loses command of the Bow Street police station. To protect him from the Inner Circle's hatred, he is forced to leave his family to work undercover in the dangerously volatile East End.

"Anne Perry's novels are New York Times bestsellers and have earned much critical acclaim: 'Give her a good murder and a shameful social evil, and Anne Perry can write a Victorian mystery that would make Dickens' eyes pop out" - New York Times Book Review

"A totally contemporary feel ... admirably well-written" - Guardian

"Her Victorian England pulsates with life and is peopled with wonderfully memorable characters" - Faye Kellerman

"A complex plot supported by superb storytelling ... and William Monk, a contender for the post of Most Original Investigator in recent fiction" - Scotland on Sunday