The murder of a shipping clerk, the strange disappearance of trusted friends, rumors of corruption within the powerful East India Company . . . all add up to a dark mystery entangling Lady Charlotte Sloane and the Earl of Wrexford in a dangerous web of secrets and lies that will call into question how much they really know about the people they hold dear-- and about each other.

When mathematician Lady Cordelia and her brother, Lord Woodbridge, disappear from London, rumors swirl concerning fraudulent bank loans and a secret consortium engaged in an illicit trading scheme that threatens the entire British economy. Charlotte and Wrexford begin a new investigation to clear the siblings' names, uncover their whereabouts, and unravel the truth behind the whispers. When a cunning mastermind emerges, they must race to prevent disasters both economic and personal as they are forced into a dangerous match of wits in an attempt to beat the enemy at his own game. -- adapted from jacket