A long-anticipated prequel to the best-selling Mistress series follows the coming-out of Lady Angeline Dudley, who harbors a secret desire for a simple marriage in spite of expectations that she marry a wealthy, titled man, a situation that is compounded by her unexpected love for an earl who does not return her feelings.
The first message sent to Tom Thorne's phone was just a picture - the blurred image of a man's face, but Thorne had seen enough dead bodies to know that the man was no longer alive. But who was he? Who sent the photograph? And why? While the technical experts attempt to trace the sender, Thorne searches the bulletins for a reported death that matches the photograph. Then another picture arrives.