1862, and the Confederates are in Yorkshire

Virginia Cooper is no ordinary Victorian wife.

She works secretly alongside Leeds police, going where male detectives cannot easily follow and asking questions where the truth could prove deadly.
Now she faces her most perilous assignment yet.

William and Marcella Fontaine have arrived from America, charming their way into the highest circles of Leeds society. Officially, they’re here to drum up support for the Confederate cause as civil war tears America apart.

But a secret search of their hotel room uncovers a fortune in hidden cash — and two lists of names.

One contains some of Leeds’s most notorious criminals.

The other is far more chilling.

Two names have already been crossed out. The last belongs to Asa Daniels, a celebrated abolitionist who fled America after three attempts on his life, to settle in York.

With only days before the Fontaines leave England, Virginia races to uncover what they are really doing in Yorkshire.

But the closer she gets to the answers, the greater the danger becomes.

Someone has crossed an ocean to kill. And Virginia may be the only person who can stop them.

Someone’s going to die…but who?

Introducing Virginia Cooper — mother, wife, and Leeds Police’s secret weapon. Working very unofficially, she questions female suspects, reads between the lines, and uncovers the truths hidden beneath their stories. But her sharp instincts and understanding of human nature make her invaluable far beyond the interview room. Virginia proves that solving crimes isn’t about wearing a badge — it’s about knowing the right questions to ask.

Asa Daniels: an acclaimed American abolitionist, speaker and writer. Born into a wealthy Boston family, he fled to England after three attempts on his life, leaving him scarred and with three missing fingers on his left hand. He’s found peace in York, lodging with a Quaker couple in their house by the river. But history is trying to catch up with him.