Sir Charles Sheridan is many things - an amateur scientist, a reknown photographer, and a skilled detective. And due to Victorian customs, he will soon become a baron - rendering him unable to marry Kate Ardleigh, an American writer of the popular, yet frowned upon "penny-dreadfuls." Even as the customs of the time keep them apart, a good murder case always seems to bring them together...

The Countess of Warwick, known affectionately as "Daisy," is the subject of endless rumors about her "unladylike" ways and temperament. But what happens during a weekend party at her Easton estate is uglier than any rumor. First, a stableboy is killed. Then a nobleman is murdered outside Daisy's well-known trysting spot. A murderer is on the grounds - and on the loose. Seeking to avoid scandal, the Prince of Wales orders Sir Charles to solve the case. Together, he and Miss Ardleigh find that even the highest levels of society are no refuge from the lowest of deeds.