England, 1593: Five years on from the Armada and Elizabeth's kingdom seems secure. But there is always a plot afoot...
 
Robert Cecil, the Queen's spymaster, needs Nicholas Shelby - reluctant spy and maverick physician - to embark on an undercover mission once again. One that he can't refuse, if he wants to keep Bianca Merton safe.
 
Crossing the seas to Marrakesh in search of a missing informer, Nicholas hunts the dingy back alleys and dazzling palaces for the truth. But his search reveals a deadly conspiracy, one far more difficult to survive than he'd ever imagined.
 
And back in London the plague has returned, ravaging the streets and threatening everything he holds most dear...