In London, England, Fiona Maloney makes her living cleaning up murder scenes after the corpse is removed by the coroner. Not only does she get to restore a scene to what it was, she also gets to involve herself in murder investigations. Fiona offers advice and insight to the police. Her interest in murder sadly came as a result of finding her best friend Mary butchered by Jack the Ripper and, since that time, she has not stopped searching for him.
One late night, Fiona is called to the home of a murdered man who hangs by one foot with one leg bent behind him. Looking straight at the victim, he was gutted like a fish. Later, looking into a bucket containing his organs, Fiona finds turquoise beads that send her on a fresh search for the Ripper.
The reader gets to know Fiona and those in her circle, including her Aunt Nola, who supposedly speaks to the dead, her lost love Father Aidan, crime lord Jorah Roth aka the Hammer and assassin Aramis Night Horse aka the Blade and more, who are given as much definition as Fiona herself.
The historical-based mystery is not full of horror or sensationalism, but rather dives deep into various topics including religion, personal beliefs, revenge, and more.
