A female undertaker in Victorian London suspects death by unnatural causes in a mystery "rich with historical incidents and details" (Publishers Weekly).
Only a woman with an iron backbone could succeed as an undertaker in Victorian England, but Violet Morgan takes great pride in her trade. While her husband, Graham, is preoccupied with elevating their station in society, Violet is cultivating a sterling reputation for Morgan Undertaking. She is empathetic, well-versed in funeral fashions, and comfortable with death's role in life—until its chilling rattle comes knocking on her own front door.
Violet's peculiar but happy life soon begins to unravel as Graham becomes obsessed with his own demons and all but abandons her as he plans a vengeful scheme. And the solace she's always found in her work evaporates like a departing soul when she suspects that some of the deceased she's dressed have been murdered. When Graham disappears, Violet takes full control of the business and is commissioned for an undertaking of royal proportions. But she's certain there's a killer lurking in the London fog, and the next funeral may be her own.
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Christine Trent is the author of the Lady of Ashes mysteries, the Florence Nightingale mysteries, and several other historical novels. She writes from her two-story home library, where she lives with her husband, precocious cats, a large doll collection, too many fountain pens, and over four thousand catalogued books.
Polly Lee, an Earphones Award–winning narrtor, is an actress from London who has appeared in the off-Broadway shows Lenin’s Embalmer’s, Close Ties, Slag Heap, The October Crisis, and others. She received her BA degree in theater studies from London University and an MFA from the New School in New York.