As an assistant in a busy London morgue, Leonora Spencer is accustomed to death. But she is astonished when a woman who has been declared dead and delivered to an undertaker is discovered to still be very much alive. Even more revolting is the scheme Leo and Detective Inspector Jasper Reid uncover: It appears the woman's new husband planned her death for months—and she might not be the first wealthy spinster he married with an aim to kill.

Although Jasper hires Leo as a private consultant to help track down the wicked husband, he is reluctant to let her assist him with yet another inquiry. His cousin, Andrew Carter, has made contact at last with a demand that Jasper locate another missing man . . . or risk the full exposure of his blood ties to the criminal East Rips gang.

When Jasper and Leo's investigations lead them to one of the city's most successful private inquiry agencies, they decide to work together. But the closer they get to answers, the more Jasper believes his unwanted family bonds will never allow him and Leo an ounce of peace or safety.