First published 2017
Captain William Avery accepts a case he wishes he could refuse. Someone has died horribly at the Reform, London's most prestigious gentleman's club, and the members want the matter buried quietly. The year is 1842, and Avery soon uncovers bitter rivalries festering beneath the club's elegant surface. At the heart of the mystery stands Alexis Soyer, England's first celebrity chef and the club's resident genius. Soyer's culinary talents are matched only by his flair for publicity, earning him the nickname "the Napoleon of food." But Avery faces a deeper worry. His mentor and partner Jeremiah Blake has vanished without explanation. As Avery digs into the club's secrets, he discovers webs of personal vendettas and political conflicts that threaten to explode into violence. The investigation grows more dangerous when Avery realizes this death may be only the beginning of a larger, more sinister plot.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, historical-setting, missing-person
Setting: London, Reform Club
Period: 1842
432 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons