Mrs. Laetitia Rodd, aged fifty-two, is the widow of an archdeacon who makes her living as a highly discreet private investigator. Her brother, Frederick Tyson, is a criminal barrister living in nearby Highgate with his wife and ten children. Frederick finds the cases, and Laetitia solves them using her arch intelligence and her immaculate cover as an unsuspecting widow. When a case arises involving the son of the highly connected Sir James Calderstone, Laetitia sets off for Lincolnshire undercover as the family's new governess--quickly making herself indispensable. But the seemingly simple case-looking into young Charles Calderstone's inappropriate love interest-soon takes an unpleasant turn. And as the family's secrets begin to unfold, Laetitia discovers the Calderstones have more to hide than most.
"A Dickensian glow pervades this immensely satisfying novel. Hugely enjoyable."
James Runcie, author of The Grantchester Mysteries
"Saunders' protagonist sheds a sympathetic light on the plight of women in the rigid moral climate of Victorian England. Readers who relish the puzzle of a well-done Victorian-set mystery with a resourceful female detective will take pleasure in this series launch by a prolific British author and journalist."
Library Journal, Starred Review
"Saunders launches a well-written series with all the hallmarks of a classic British cozy."
