Synopses & Reviews
England, 1897. London is preparing for Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, the celebration to mark her sixtieth year as queen and empress of a quarter of the surface of the globe. Fifty thousand troops from across her vast empire will gather in the capital and the immense importance of the occasion inevitably brings danger in its wake. The troubles begin when a body is found floating in the Thames at London Bridge. Scotland Yard calls in Lord Francis Powerscourt, whose investigation leads him to a mysterious mansion in Oxfordshire with ancient temples in its gardens and more recent secrets in the house. There a second corpse is found, burned to death, in a room locked from the outside. Following the deaths by water and fire, Powerscourt is led into the arcane world of bonds and futures in the City of London, before a cryptic message from an old friend takes him back to his native Ireland and a terrifying night encounter deep in the Wicklow Mountains. Powerscourt's own life, and that of his family, are in terrible danger unless he can crack the riddle of the Jubilee.
About the Author
With an honors degree in Classics from Cambridge, David Dickinson joined the BBC, where he became editor of Newsnight and Panorama, as well as series editor on Monarchy. He lives in London, England.