At a mist-shrouded villa on Lake Como, an Italian nobleman is grooming a young English tenor for a career on the glittering operatic stage. But the enigmatic young singer and his fiery mentor constantly clash. Before their sojourn is over, one will die by violence, and the other will disappear.
Enter Julian Kestrel, Regency dandy and amateur sleuth. Travelling in Italy with his ex-pickpocket valet, Dipper, and his friend Dr MacGregor, Kestrel is irresistibly drawn into this baffling case. Among the suspects are a runaway wife and her male soprano lover; a liberal nobleman at odds with Italy's Austrian overlords; a mocking Frenchman with perfect pitch; and a beautiful, clever woman who begins to haunt Kestrel's dreams.
Then the murderer strikes again. And as Kestrel uncovers the truth, he risks becoming the next victim.
