Georgian Britain prepares for war with France. But a greater threat is stirring. It starts with a ball. News comes that a heroic Umbra has been murdered in the Other Realm. Shy young artist Arthur Tenebris wonders if his wilful Umbra, Amorrie, is involved. Earlier in the evening, she answered his summons, naked, injured and drenched in blood. Sebastian Stanton, Pitt’s rising Minister for Umbra Affairs is ordered to investigate the killing, but how do you solve a murder in a world you can never visit? Arthur is sent to paint four young sisters – the Gracegirdles – in the Fens. They are innocents with a dark secret that may link them to the long-dead Queen 'neath the Hedge. Who is a foe and who a friend? It’s impossible to know who to trust when even your Umbra could be an enemy. Set in the world of Jane Austen , for fans of His Dark Materials and Jonathan Strange . The big yellow buy button is the last barrier between you and the Other Realm