A grand showcase for technology, art, design, and . . . murder.



London, 1851, and the Great Exhibition is on. A soaring success despite months of dour predictions, it is the event of the year, on front pages and wagging tongues the world over—and Miss Kara Levett is thrilled to be in the middle of it. The daughter of a baron and an exhibitor herself, she happily demonstrates her elaborate automatons and case clocks to the crowds.



But her situation grows perilous when a man is murdered in the Crystal Palace and she becomes the prime suspect. With the unexpected aid of Mr. Niall Kier, a reserved Scottish blacksmith, artist and fellow exhibitioner with secrets of his own, Kara begins the work the Metropolitan Police show no inclination for—finding the true killer.



Together, Niall and Kara dig up international espionage schemes and sordid family secrets, and chase clues from Victorian high society to the London slums, all while trying to stay ahead of the villains who seek to make her the next victim.