Blood may be thicker than water, but is family more important than the truth?

London, August 1759. Lizzie Hardwicke, society harlot and occasional investigator for the magistrate, is shaken by an encounter with her estranged brother during a riotous evening hosted by the notorious Devils' Brotherhood. Beyond the opulence of this Mayfair party, a streetwalker is found strangled on the doorstep of a well-known moral campaigner, her cheek branded with the letter V.

When more girls are discovered dead and similarly marked, Lizzie fears that someone stalks the streets with a violent hatred of women, and as the evidence begins to point to her own brother, any remaining family loyalty she has is severely tested.

Her past catches up with her and her future becomes increasingly dangerous, yet Lizzie is still unaware of darker plots being hatched in the shadows by those who wish to silence her for good. This time, the consequences of her investigations will lead her to a place where even Will Davenport, the one man she trusts, won't be able to find her.

The fourth instalment of the gripping and vividly imagined historical mystery series set in 18th century London, from the author of acclaimed historical novel The Dazzle of the Light. Perfect for fans of The Household by Stacey Halls and Daughters of the Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, as well as readers of Laura Purcell, Sarah Waters and Diana Gabaldon.