Amelia Amesbury - widow, mother, and countess - is bored, crushingly so. In an attempt to fill the days, Amelia becomes an ''agony aunt'' for a London penny paper, doling out advice on fashion, relationships, and manners. But when a lady''s maid writes Amelia to ask for advice when she believes her mistress has been murdered - and then ends up a victim herself - Amelia is determined to solve the case. With the help of her best friend and a handsome marquis, Amelia begins to piece together the puzzle, but as each new thread of inquiry ends with a different suspect, the investigation grows ever more daunting. From London''s docks and ballrooms to grand country houses, Amelia tracks a killer, putting her reputation - and her life - on the line.