In her fifth outing, Maisie Dobbs, the extraordinary Psychologist and Investigator, delves into a strange series of crimes in a small rural community
With the country in the grip of economic malaise, and worried about her business, Maisie Dobbs is relieved to accept an apparently straightforward assignment from an old friend to investigate certain matters concerning a potential land purchase. Her inquiries take her to a picturesque village

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The year is 1820 and England has fought its last victorious battle against the French. Rider Sandman, a hero of Waterloo, has finally returned to London to wed his young bride. But instead of being able to settle down to his fame and glory, he finds himself penniless in a country where unemployment and social unrest are raging high, and where men—innocent or guilty—are hung for the merest of crimes. Thus, when the Home Secretary offers

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"When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike's office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed, and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts from his office in a panic. Trying to get to the bottom of Billy's...

England, 1865. Hester Monk, the wife of William Monk, commander of the Thames River Police, questions the finances of a London church whose members' hard-earned charitable gifts appear to go into the pocket of charismatic preacher Abel Taft. Taft is accused of extortion and brilliant barrister Oliver Rathbone, newly appointed a judge, is chosen to preside over the trial. Taft's guilt seems clear, until a last-minute witness completely undermines the...