Mary Shelley Mystery

London, 1814: Mary Godwin and her stepsister Jane Clairmont, both sixteen, possess quick minds bolstered by an unconventional upbringing, and have little regard for the rules. Mary, whose mother famously advocated for women's rights, rejects the two paths that seem open to her-that of an assistant in her father's bookshop, or an ordinary wife. Though quieter and more reserved than Jane, Mary's imagination is keen, and she longs for real-world adventures. One evening, an opportunity arrives in the form of a dinner guest, Percy Bysshe Shelley. At twenty-one, Shelley is already a renowned poet and radical. Mary finds their visitor handsome and compelling, but it is later that evening that events take a truly intriguing turn. When Mary comes downstairs in search of a book, she finds a man face down on the floor-with a knife in his back. The dead man, it seems, was a former classmate of Shelley's, and had lately become a personal and professional rival. What was he doing in the Godwins' home? Mary, Jane, and Shelley are all drawn to learn the truth behind the tragedy, especially as each discovery seems to hint at a tangled web that includes many in Shelley's closest circle. But as the attraction between Mary and the married poet intensifies, it sparks a rivalry between the sisters, even as it kindles the creative fire within . . .

1814, London: Foreign diplomats are descending on London in advance of the Congress of Vienna meetings to formulate a new peace plan for Europe following Napoleon's downfall. Mary and Jane's father, political philosopher William Godwin, is hosting a gathering with an advance party of Russian royal staff. The Russians are enthusiastic followers of Mary's late mother, philosopher and women's rights advocate Mary Wollstonecraft, which leads to a lively dinner discussion. Following their visit, Jane overhears her father reassuring his pushiest creditor that the Russians have pledged diamonds to support his publishing venture, relieving his financial burden. But when Godwin is told the man who promised the diamonds was pulled from the River Thames, his financial problems are further complicated by the suspicion that the family may have been involved in the murder. Stepsisters Mary and Jane resolve to find the real killer to clear the family name. Coming to their aid is Godwin's disciple, poet Percy Shelley, who seems increasingly devoted to Mary, despite the fact that he is married. And a young woman Jane befriends turns out to be the mistress of the celebrated poet Lord Byron. As both sisters find themselves dangerously captivated by the poets, their proximity to the truth of the Russian's murder puts them in far greater peril...

London, June 1814: Mary and Jane are less than charmed by their brother Charles's courtship with a girl from the local cheese shop. When Miss Winnet Davies is not swooning from the heat, she's imploring Charles to buy her a pretty dress. But he hasn't a tuppence-nor have they, as their father, philosopher William Godwin, is facing the prospect of debtor's prison. When a constable arrives at the Godwin home the following day, looking for Charles, Mary and Jane learn that the lifeless body of Miss Davies was found hanging from a tree branch and an examination revealed she was with child. Before they can search, a terrifying Bow Street Runner named Fisher calls and announces his intention to court Mary. Even if she wasn't infatuated with married poet and radical Percy Shelley, she is horrified by the massive Bow Street Runner's plan. Mary and Jane alternately enlist the help of the experienced and intimidating Fisher and Shelley himself, who is as enticed by the opportunity to be close to Mary as he is intrigued by the mystery. But the unfortunate shopgirl is only the first to die, and soon the sisters and Shelley face a merciless quarry who will do anything to silence them . . .