London, 1905. Margaret Trant lives with her ailing, irascible mother in a dreary boarding house in St John's Wood. The pair have fallen on hard times, with only Margaret's meagre salary from a ramshackle import-export company keeping them afloat.
When a stranger on the tram hands her a newspaper open at the recruitment page, Margaret spots an advertisement that promises to 'open new horizons beyond your wildest dreams!'. After a gruelling interview, she finds herself in a new position as a secretary in a dingy backstreet shop. But all is not as it seems; she is in fact working for a highly secret branch of the intelligence service, Bureau 8, whose mission is to track down and neutralise a ruthless band of anarchists known as The Scorpions.
Margaret's guilty love of detective fiction scarcely prepares her for the reality of true criminality, and her journey of self-discovery forms the heart of this remarkable novel, as she discovers in herself resourcefulness, courage, independence and the first stirrings of love.
"'Menczer's debut novel is remarkable ... If you are looking for a beautifully written gentle and funny thriller, full of twists and turns, and with a strong female lead, this is a compelling and recommended read'"
Historical Novel Society
"'Fast-moving and great fun, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read'"
Journal of the Legal Society of Scotland
"'If your tastes run to old-fashioned Buchanesque stories pitting plucky Brits against scurrilous foreign agents threatening to bring down the established order, Jane Menczer has just the thing. There's a lot of fun to be had and a few violent scenes aside, it's a charming piece of work'"
