First published 2009
Lucinda Bromley lives under a cloud of suspicion in Victorian London. Society whispers that she poisoned her fiancé, leaving her to survive on the edges of polite company while tending her botanical specimens. Her unusual gift allows her to identify nearly any toxin, particularly those derived from plants. When a lord dies under mysterious circumstances, Lucinda discovers traces of poison from an extremely rare fern at the murder scene. Only one specimen of this fern existed in all of England, and someone stole it from her conservatory weeks earlier. To clear her name and catch the killer, she hires Caleb Jones, who operates a psychical investigation agency. Jones belongs to the Arcane Society and excels at uncovering secrets while protecting the organization's mysteries. Lucinda immediately recognizes his dangerous intensity and raw abilities. As attraction flares between them, they uncover a conspiracy reaching back to the Arcane Society's founding days. The investigation threatens to unleash a legacy of madness that could destroy Caleb's sanity.
Genres: romance, suspense, mystery, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, secret-organization
Setting: England, London, Victorian London
Period: 19th-century
352 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: death, murder