London, June 1860: When an assassination attempt is made on Queen Victoria, and a petty thief is gruesomely murdered moments later--and only a block away--Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field quickly surmises that the crimes are connected. Was Victoria really the assassin's target? Or were both crimes part of an even more sinister plot? Field's investigation soon exposes a shocking conspiracy: the publication of Charles Darwin's controversial On the Origin of Species has set off a string of terrible crimes--murder, arson, kidnapping. Witnesses describe a shadowy figure with lifeless, coal-black eyes. As the investigation takes Field from the dangerous alleyways of London to the hallowed halls of Oxford, the list of possible conspirators grows, and the body count escalates. And as he edges closer to the dastardly madman called the Chorister, he uncovers dark secrets that were meant to remain forever hidden.
adult
Tim Mason.
Originally published in hardcover by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill in June 2019.
Includes Mr Bucket, an essay by the author and questions for discussion.
