The year is 1861. The American Civil War has just begun, and London arms dealer Daniel Alberton is becoming a very wealthy man as emissaries from both sides of the conflict rush to purchase his wares. The quiet dinner party held by Alberton and his beautiful wife seems remote indeed from the passions rending America. Yet investigator William Monk and his bride, Hester, sense growing tensions and barely concealed violence in this well-appointed mansion. For two of the guests are Americans, each vying to buy Alberton's armaments.Philo Trace, the Southerner, is both charming and intelligent, but a defender of slavery. Northerner Lyman Breedlove - to whom Alberton's teenage daughter has pledged her heart - is a disturbing blend of political zealotry and personal reserve. Soon Monk and Hester's forebodings are fulfilled. For within this group, one is brutally murdered in a cruel ritualistic fashion, and two others disappear - along with Alberton's entire inventory of weapons. Read Less