Interesting steampunk concepts here. Traveling circuses, alchemy, a British Revolutionary War that divided the country into two parts, the Kingdom and the Republic, the Patent Office with higher authority than police or military. I'll definitely be reading the next volume.

Elizabeth Barnabus, born into the traveling circus, has lived a double life of twins; herself and her brother, Edwin. She has perfected the art of transformation so that she can move about as either man or woman, depending upon what the circumstances require. In order to earn her living, she has become an intelligence gatherer (rather like a private investigator), and works both as Elizabeth and Edwin. This particular novel has her on the case of a missing aristocrat--her employer is the gentleman's sister, the Duchess of Bletchley. The aristocrat has a device that will turn lead into gold and has gone into hiding. His sister dearly wants to see him again, and will pay off the debts owed by Elizabeth's family that make Elizabeth wanted by the Duke of Northampton, another aristocrat in the Kingom. In order to find the aristocrat and receive her payment, she must travel back to the Kingdom and risk being found by the Duke.