Campbell Lawless is given the assignment of taking a count and the histories of the prostitutes in London. Not and easy task or a safe one. Between bawdy houses, and houses that catered to the hourly trade it is a world that is kept under wraps. It is also a world with ties to the gentry.

It is Victorian England where manners, and class distinction are important in projecting the image of propriety. It is also a time where erotic literature, prostitution, human trafficking, and violence runs rampant behind the façade of propriety.

While taking this count, or survey, Lawless finds that there is a tie to something much bigger that is orchestrating the doings. It is elusive but has the hint of being run by someone who is at the top of society. The problem is that no one is willing to talk, or if they do it is the end of them.

Enlisting the help of a few of his 'friends' from the lower classes, Lawless keeps pushing to find the connections. Putting himself and some of his friends in jeopardy, he finds connections that put people he respects in a different light. Not a good light, either.

This was another read that kept me reading. At times it was erratic, but still captivating. There was a bit of eroticism that I didn't expect, but it helped paint the desperate and dreary world of the prostitutes and people who were part of it. I know I will read others in this series as I find them. ( )