A holiday tradition, this is Anne Perry's tenth Christmas novella. Each one features a Christmas-themed story centered on one of the supporting characters from her William Monk or Thomas and Charlotte Perry mystery series.
This year's offering features Claudine Burroughs, the neglected wife of a wealthy businessman, whose only sense of meaning and purpose comes from volunteering at Hester Monk's clinic for sick and abused street women. Her ambitious husband disapproves, and in order to placate him she goes through the motions of accompanying him to social events where he cultivates his business contacts among the wealthy and well-connected of London society.
At a glittering Christmas party Claudine unexpectedly meets a charming ne'er-do-well Welsh poet, Dai Treggaron, and recognizes a kindred spirit. But within moments, Dai stands accused of killing a young prostitute who has been smuggled into the party to amuse three heedless young men. Even as she realizes that the rest of the guests are only too eager to blame the outsider Treggaron for the incident, Claudine suspects that the young men are lying to protect themselves, and vows to discover what really occurred. Will people really watch an innocent man hang rather than admit the shameful truth about young men born to every advantage? What proof can she bring that will stand against the influence of the rich and powerful? And Claudine is also motivated to prevent another young woman from making the same mistake she made and suffering a lifetime of regret.
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