At the public execution of the anarchist assassin Laurent Moreau, the outgoing Chief Inspector warns his protégé, the newly promoted Lefebvre: “I’ve heard that some of Moreau’s cronies have sworn revenge. You don’t want to get killed your first week as chief.”

Meanwhile, Lefebvre is charged with investigating the disappearance of the Baron de Livet, a brash millionaire with connections to Russian spies and a history of gambling, womanizing, and fighting in duels. The case is more complicated than it seems, of course, and Lefebvre and his team must make sense of a poisoned maid, an unidentifiable stagecoach, and a missing briefcase full of cash. The Baron’s connection to the world of international espionage means that, if the Inspector isn’t fast enough, the Baron’s disappearance might trigger a war.

And Lefebvre mustn’t forget those stalking anarchists who are out for his blood, as he searches for the man who wasn’t there...