Artist Nick Bassington-Hope died falling from the scaffolding where he was working in privacy to install his latest controversial masterpiece. The police quickly rule his death an accident, but Nick's twin sister Georgiana refuses to leave it at that. She is referred to Maisie, whose search for the man Nick was -which she feels she needs to understand to determine how and why he died- forces her to work her way through the complicated web of crime, deception, and personal conflict surrounding Nick in life and in death. A journey that takes her into personal danger both physical and psychological, since (as in prior books) the investigation also forces her to face some truths about herself and her own life.

There's plenty of plot and action, but this series is really about people: their relations with each other and what makes them the way they are. Including Maisie herself, who at times in prior books has seemed almost too perfect, but shows some reassuringly human flaws here. This book and the entire series also give a great feel for the time, when unimaginable scars from The Great War are still part of everyday life for too many people and where the worldwide economic depression of the 1930s brings its own problems. A satisfying entry in one of the more unique series - historical or otherwise - being written today. Recommended.

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