Liberty Lane: a new heroine for fans of Maisie Dobbs and the Number One Ladies' Detective Agency. She should have remained at home with her sour aunt, but Liberty Lane was never one to obey instructions. Eager to be reunited with her beloved father, she headed for Dover, only to receive an anonymous note informing her that he has been killed in a duel at Calais. Thomas Jacques Lane -- radical, romantic, scholar, republican, gambler and devoted father -- had led an unconventional life but of one thing Liberty is certain. He would never have taken part in a duel, for it went against everything he believed in. And if the author of the anonymous note expects her to swallow this lie and meekly obey his command to stay put, he's severely underestimated Liberty Lane. With no resources bar her own wits, she immediately sets off in pursuit of the truth -- and her father's killer. And as the nation prepares to celebrate the coronation of young Queen Victoria, Liberty uncovers a treasonable plot which could lead to another vicious civil war!