London, 1814. When the sadistic Lord Ashworth is found brutally murdered, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is called in by Bow Street magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy to help catch the killer. Just seven months before, Sebastian had suspected Ashworth of aiding in the kidnapping and murder of a string of vulnerable street children. Meanwhile his headstrong young niece Stephanie, who entered into a disastrous marriage with Ashworth, has survived the difficult birth of twin sons. Ashworth had abandoned his pregnant bride and lived an essentially bachelor existence. When evidence suggests that Ashworth's killer was a woman, can Sebastian keep Stephanie from being punished for his death? -- adapted from jacket and Goodreads.com info