Connor's wife and the Asherton's daughter, Julia, is separated from Connor who was fond of alcohol and horse races. She shows no emotion or grief at his death. Though they were separated, Connor continued to lunch and maintain connection with Julia's parents.

Kincaid brings in Gemma to help him. Kincaid is fascinated by Julia while Gemma becomes involved with Caroline and opera. The death of Connor recalls the tragedy of 20 years ago. Julia witnessed the drowning death of her brother, Matthew, a musical prodigy. Kincaid finds a link between the two incidents. Their investigations lead to a startling and surprising ending.

The mystery is an intriguing one. The description of Matthew's drowning is graphic. The characters are well developed with Kincaid and Gemma struggling to make a place for themselves and each other professionally and personally. The solution is surprising and satisfying. We hope to follow the development of the relationship between Kincaid and \Gemma in future novels.