Junior sleuth Maisie Hitchins, who lives in her grandmother's boarding house in Victorian London, uncovers an intriguing plot involving stolen sausages, pilfered halfpennies, and a fast-paced bicycle chase.

"Dorothy Richardson is existing just above the poverty line, doing secretarial work at a dentist's office ... when she is invited to spend the weekend with a childhood friend. Jane has recently married a writer who is hovering on the brink of fame. His name is H.G. Wells, or Bertie, as they call him ... Dorothy notices his grey-blue eyes taking her in, openly signalling approval. He tells her he and Jane have an agreement which allows them the freedom...

In Victorian London, Maisie Hitchins, a young detective who lives in her grandmother's boarding house, finds herself immersed in the excitement and glamour of the theater when she investigates the theft of a valuable necklace belonging to an actress friend of a longtime boarder.