It’s Christmas Eve 1931. On the way to see a client, Maisie Dobbs witnesses a man commit suicide on a busy London street. The following day, the prime minister’s office receives a letter threatening a massive loss of life if certain demands are not met—and the writer mentions Maisie by name. After being questioned and cleared by Detective Chief Superintendent Robert MacFarlane of Scotland Yard’s elite Special Branch, she is drawn into MacFarlane’s personal fiefdom as a special adviser on the case. Now Maisie must catch a madman before he inflicts death and destruction on an unimaginable scale. Once again, Jacqueline Winspear combines a heart-stopping story with a rich portrait of a fascinating period to create her most compelling and satisfying novel yet.

Jacqueline Winspear is the author of three previous Maisie Dobbs novels, Maisie Dobbs, Birds of A Feather, and Pardonable Lies. Originally from the United Kingdom, Winspear now lives in California.