This is the winner of the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award. When Major Mearns receives a large delivery, he knows it is the beginning of something unusual - inside the sacking are two human legs. The legs belong to one of Mearns's fellow soldiers, and the deliveries of body parts continue. Major Mearns and his mate Sergeant Denny need to find out who has murdered their friend. But investigations in the court of King George IV are easier said than done. Many number of obstacles lie in their way, until they meet a runaway boy named Charlie. Charlie's street smarts, charisma, and natural storytelling ability help guide the soldiers through the mystery, as well as endear the boy to the people he meets. With the odds on their side, the motley bunch of sleuths look for a killer - though as the deaths and tragedies pile up around them, the solution to one death grows more difficult to find.