Rogues and Vagabonds

A sinking ship. A murdered man. A deadly secret that refuses to drown. When the ill-fated Bon Espoir slips beneath the waves, it takes with it the desperate, last-minute confession of Gurth Egerton—a man with the blood of his cousin on his hands. But the sea does not always keep its dead, and in the sprawling, gaslit streets of London, the ghosts of the past are beginning to stir. In Rogues and Vagabonds, Monica Downey weaves a brilliant, sprawling melodrama of high-stakes blackmail, tragic romance, and intertwined destinies. Penniless outcast Edward Marston has returned from exile, armed with a damning piece of knowledge that threatens to destroy a respectable doctor who built his fortune on a corpse. Meanwhile, a young, disinherited heir elopes with a lodge-keeper's daughter to face the brutal reality of poverty, and a mysterious, beautiful benefactor tries to save a young girl from the squalor of a notorious Soho gambling den. As these disparate lives collide, old loyalties are tested, and deadly alliances are forged. Rich with atmospheric tension, shocking twists, and unforgettable characters, Rogues and Vagabonds is a gripping journey into the dark heart of a society where everyone has something to hide—and a price they are willing to pay.