London, 1887. The Empire's greatest threat comes from within. As Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee approaches, American intelligence officers Sophie Baumann and Meade Meadows stumble upon a conspiracy that could reshape the world: a cabal within the British Admiralty plans to provoke war with Spain through a staged attack in the Caribbean. The plot is sophisticated and deadly. A stolen Spanish warship. British officers posing as the enemy. An American diplomat's money funding it all. And the conspiracy's true goal isn't just war—it's regime change in London. Working from the shadows of Victorian London, Sophie and Meade must expose the conspirators before the false flag attack succeeds. But their colleague, Lieutenant James Hollister, faces an even deadlier challenge: trapped aboard HMS Falcon as the target ship sails toward San Juan, he's surrounded by the very men orchestrating the attack. From gas-lit London streets to the tropical waters of Puerto Rico, from diplomatic receptions to naval combat, the clock is ticking. The attack is scheduled. The ships are in position. And if the conspiracy succeeds, two empires will go to war. The Deptford Confession delivers authentic Victorian-era espionage with intricate tradecraft, parallel storylines that converge in explosive action, and a race against time to stop a war before it starts. A reader's guide to this book is available at Jim Stovall's website, JPROF.COM.