In 1819 England, Alexandra Sinclair and her new husband, Benedict Nash, Viscount Litton, are celebrating their marriage at an outdoor reception. The celebration abruptly ends when children and their dogs discover a woman's body in the adjacent woods. The victim was a resident of The Home for Unfortunate Women, an establishment preparing former prostitutes for responsible work.After the death, local residents, who've always viewed their village as a safe haven from big-city crime, demand that the Home be closed. Alex, an ardent social reformer, immediately joins the Home board of directors, determined to keep the establishment open.More deaths follow, each victim in some way connected to the Home. So, the Home is forced to close. Yet the murders continue. The local constables seem incapable of finding the killer. That leaves Alex and two friends-one a fellow board member, the other a feisty former resident-to investigate. They must find this diabolical murderer before the three of them-the only remaining people in the area still associated with the Home-become the next victims.