Victorian England is at the centre of the civilised world, yet atrocities lurk beneath its enlightened veneer. Young children are vanishing from their homes, but the subject of child prostitution is considered too terrible to contemplate, so society denies its existence, and these wicked crimes go undetected. Virginia is eighteen, chafing against convention and the restraints of her privileged position. She devises a small rebellion, but when her plans go awry, she finds herself involved in the investigation of this iniquitous trade. Pitted against villains who think nothing of committing murder, she encounters greed, cruelty and fear...and the power of love.