Sir Charles Sheridan is many things--an amateur scientist, a renowned photographer, and a skilled detective. And due to Victorian customs, he will soon become a baron--rendering him unable to marry American writer Kate Ardleigh. But even as customs keep them apart, a good muder case always seems to bring them together.

The Countess of Warwick, known affectionately as Daisy, is the subject of endless rumors about her unladylike ways and temperament. But what happens during a weekend party at her Easton estate is uglier that any rumor. First, a stableboy is killed. Then a nobleman is murdered outide Daisy's well-known trysting spot. A murderer is on the grounds--and on the loose.

Seeking to avoid scandal, the Prince of Wales orders Sir Charles to solve the case. Together, he and Miss Ardleigh find that even the highest levels of society are no refuge from the lowest of deeds.