It's 1878 London. A series of young women are missing, then found murdered, and later revealed to be daughters of influential men. Also, the wife of another rich man is reported missing, and Inspector Corravan locates her, but finds her in a terrible state. He takes her to a hospital where a friend works so she can be cared for properly, and kept safe until she can explain why she had run away from home.

Both cases keep Corravan busy, while he also has personal concerns splitting his focus:
-Harry, a teen living temporarily with Corravan's adopted family the Doyles, needs a new place to live (he doesn't fit into Whitechapel) and an intellectual challenge
-his long time romantic partner Belinda is frustrated that Corravan uses anger as his go-to in most situations.

Corravan is dogged at chasing down clues and at finding his suspects, but he is not great at communicating with his superior and takes an intelligent and helpful younger colleague, Stiles, for granted. Corravan is also prone to anger and using his fists, methods that served him well for years as first an orphan and thief, then a dockworker, then a boxer in the pay of a local criminal. It takes a lot for him to realize how this is harming him in his personal and professional relationships.

This was a great start to a series. The historical details create great atmosphere, and the trio of characters of Corravan, Stiles, and Belinda give the story an interesting feel. Corravan's background encompasses both the rougher streets of Whitechapel and the complexity of a growing, changing London. And though he butts heads with his gentry superiors, there's something compelling about him. Compelling enough that he has a long term relationship with his love Belinda, who's a writer, unmarried, forthright, compassionate and perceptive. She also gives him some analysis of his actions and his case, when needed.

Karen Odden's first book in the Inspector Corravan series is good, and I look forward to reading the next.