In November 1888, Victorian England offers little mercy to unmarried mothers. To escape public ruin, many surrender their infants to “baby farmers” which are women who, for a fee, promise care, discretion, and the hope of a loving home.
Constance Piper begins to sense that something is terribly wrong with one such woman. Known as Mother Delaney, she presents herself as a savior to the desperate, her Poplar house a refuge for unwanted children. But Constance hears another story; one of vanished babies, muffled cries, and promises that end in silence.
In her investigations Constance is drawn deeper into Mother Delaney’s shadowed world. There seem to be a truth too monstrous to face, and every step closer places Constance in greater danger.
As the line between the living and the damned begins to blur, Constance realizes the evil she has uncovered will not be easily stopped. Justice may come by rope and gallows, but some sins are so dark they linger long after the trapdoor falls.
This is a revised new edition of the previously published title The Angel Makers.
This historical thriller with a Gothic atmosphere captivates readers with its courageous investigator, eerie mood and a dark secret – for readers of Laura Purcell, Sarah Waters and fans of Victorian crime fiction.
Trope: Amateur detective, Whodunnit, Women Sleuths
