London, 1856. Ben Canaan is a young detective on the payroll of Her Majesty's Executive, riding high on a string of successful cases. Then a notorious crime boss turns up murdered on the city streets, the latest in a series of brutal killings targeting the most powerful men in the global opium trade.
To track down the culprits and prevent more blood from being shed, Ben is sent out to the newly-founded British colony of Hong Kong: a lawless frontier town on the southern shores of China's Great Qing Dynasty.
Ben is plunged headlong into a labyrinthine conspiracy, set against the backdrop of an empire in collapse and a sweeping civil war. As his hunt brings him closer to the truth and the ruthless corporate interests that want him dead, Ben is forced to choose between what is necessary and what is just.
Map viii
1 Uninvited Guests 1
2 Pandoras Box 13
3 Suspect No. 3 31
4 You Are Already Dead 42
5 A New Mission 58
6 King Kyrië 69
7 The Floating Life 80
8 A Fine Mess 90
9 Emperors of the Sea 104
10 The Flower Girl 120
11 The End of the Seven Gentlemen 135
12 The Pleasure Boat 150
13 Saints and Sinners 163
14 Best Laid Schemes 178
15 The Fog of War 192
16 Out, Brief Candle 204
17 A British Hero 216
18 Heaven and Hell 226
19 Ghosts 241
20 Everything is Connected 254
21 A Useful Purpose 266
22 The Black Crow 277
23 Death Warrant 290
24 The End of the Line 302
25 Family Matters 319
Epilogue: 1861 336
A.E. Goldin is a British writer and lawyer. He has worked as a screenwriter for film and television companies in London and Los Angeles and released two albums as a classical pianist. His debut novel, Murder in Constantinople, was published to acclaim by Pushkin Press in 2024. He lives in London.
