A blackmailer's threat to expose intimate secrets throws Penrose and Pyke's lives into disarray at the worst possible time.Private detective Charlie Penrose Pyke has vowed not to take on any new cases while his wife is in a delicate condition. But how can he refuse a desperate plea for help? Hopes for a quick resolution fade when they uncover further blackmail victims, all terrified their reputations will be destroyed.And there's worse to come. Nothing short of a general anaesthetic will prevent Grace from joining the hunt when the blackmailer strikes a target close to their hearts. As the harrowing truth of a dark past emerges, it's only a matter of time before the situation takes a deadly turn.The Penrose & Pyke Mystery series is set during a remarkable period of social upheaval in 1890s New Zealand. Rose Pascoe writes historical mysteries seasoned with medical mayhem, women's rights, and a dash of romance. She lives in beautiful New Zealand, land of beaches and mountains, where long walks provide the perfect conditions for dreaming up evil plots, when she isn't plotting real-life adventures. After a career in health, justice and social research, her passion is for stories about ordinary women who meet the challenges thrown at them with determination, ingenuity, and humour.
