Early April, 1933. To the costermongers of Covent Garden—sellers of fruit and vegetables on the streets of London—Eddie Pettit was a gentle soul with a near-magical gift for working with horses. When Eddie is killed in a violent accident, the grieving costers are skeptical about the cause of Eddie's death. But who would want to kill Eddie—and why?
Maisie Dobbs' father, Frankie, had been a costermonger, and she has known the men since childhood. She remembers Eddie fondly, and is determined to offer her help. But it soon becomes clear that powerful forces are equally determined to prevent her from learning the truth behind Eddie's death. Maisie begins her search for answers in the working-class streets of Lambeth where Eddie lived, but the inquiry leads her to a callous press baron, a "has been" politician named Winston Churchill lingering in the hinterlands of power and, most surprisingly, to Douglas Partridge, the husband of her dearest friend, Priscilla. As Maisie uncovers lies and manipulation on a national scale, she must decide whether to risk all to see justice done.
