London, June 1860. When an assassination attempt is made on Queen Victoria, and a petty thief is gruesomely murdered moments later only a block away, Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field quickly surmises that these crimes are connected to an even more sinister plot. Was Victoria really the assassin's target? Soon, Field's investigation exposes a shocking conspiracy in which the publication of Charles Darwin's controversial On the Origin of Species sets off a string of murders, arson, kidnapping, and the pursuit of a madman named the Chorister. As the body count escalates, Field uncovers dark secrets that were meant to remain forever hidden. -- adapted from Amazon.com info