Adventurer James Keziah Delaney returns to London from Africa in 1814 along with fourteen stolen diamonds to seek vengeance after the death of his father.
It is 1814 and James Delaney reappears in London, a changed and haunted man, presumed dead in Africa many years before. His return finds his father, Horace Delaney, dead and a country at war with France and the United States.Set to inherit what is left of his father's shipping empire, James's arrival not only threatens to disrupt the plans of his half-sister Zilpha and her husband Thorne, but also the political ambitions of the mighty East India Company, chaired by Sir Stuart Strange.
Having made his shock entrance into London society, James Delaney sets about reclaiming his legacy and establishing a new life for himself. While the city views him with hostility and suspicion, James begins to enlist allies in unlikely places and with irregular loyalties.At the reading of his father's will, an unexpected arrival threatens to disrupt his plans, and it is not long before the poisonous nature of his newfound inheritance is finally revealed. Not only must he face down two of the mightiest powers in London, but there are equally complicated matters much closer to home. And then there is his past, which will not be denied.
James Delaney finds himself alone with the mysterious Dr. Dumbarton and discovers an unlikely new ally. With enemies lurking in every corner, James decides only radical action and perilous affiliations will be able to safeguard him from those intent on his demise. As he works to prevent further attempts on his life, James realizes there are other softer options - people close by - whom his enemies may choose to destroy in his place.
The Crown makes a devious move against James Delaney, while the Company has its own reasons for frustrating the plot. As London begins closing its doors to him, James sets out to protect his business by any means necessary.With empire and mayhem in mind, James adds Cholmondeley, a depraved Chemist, to his company with explosive consequences. Meanwhile, Lorna aims to prove she's anything but a weak link, and buried secrets become a matter of yet more intrigue and violence.
After a duel at dawn takes a surprising turn, James Delaney is blackmailed into a dangerous mission that finds him in a deadly race against time. Elsewhere, Thorne's jealousy intensifies into a vicious and spiritual realm, while animosity between the Crown and Company escalates to a new level.
As James Delaney's trading plans start to unravel, a family revelation drives him into dark and haunted places, both real and emotional. Those around him, his household and family included, seem to be spiraling out of control, with terrible prices being paid. Meanwhile, at the East India Company, a frustrated Sir Stuart Strange calls for all-out war against James, threatening to destroy all he has built. As James reacts to this upsurge of chaos, things take a dire turn.
James Delaney has seemingly lost everything, but when he suffers a devastating betrayal, he realizes even his freedom is in jeopardy. Armed with the opportunity they have been longing for, the Crown and Company conspire to bring him down once and for all. Elsewhere, Lorna sets out to discover the truth, whilst Zilpha has perhaps already found her own.
It is the time of final reckoning. James Delaney confronts Sir Stuart Strange of the East India Company, with the cold hard truth. Revelations about those surrounding him are unearthed and met with deadly ramifications. Meanwhile, James conspires to escape, but as the cold enmity of the Prince Regent turns into a lethal fury, the Crown unleashes one final plan to destroy him. Time is running out, scores need to be settled, and tragic consequences to be borne.
