It is 1863 & as a reluctant Inspector of Vice Campbell Lawless undertakes a reckoning of London's houses of ill repute a shadowy netherworld of frayed glamour & double standards mesmerising & unspeakable by turns From the erotic booksellers of Holywell Street to the alleys of Haymarket he discovers backstreet cast-offs & casualties of the society bordellos & becomes fascinated by a musician who has established a foundation for fallen women But his inquiries draw the attention of powerful men who can be merciless in defending their reputations Lawless must unlock the heart of a clandestine network before he too is silenced