A quiet lodger. A secret vice. A fortune-seeker who will stop at nothing.

A neighbour's quiet lodger dies in an unlucky fall, but Vita finds clues that suggest a complex and dangerous secret life, and doubts his death was an accident.

Forced to investigate when the police refuse to listen, she finds a connection with a second sudden death - that of a wealthy and eccentric local lady.

As usual, Vita's discoveries infuriate the police and the murderer, but they also cast doubt on the findings of a police surgeon whose good opinion is vital if she is to continue her own scientific studies.

With no one else willing to take on the killer, Vita must act alone.

If you like a stylishly authentic Edwardian setting with the dark undertow of secrets, this is one for you.