‘A clever and satisfying thriller in a wonderfully decadent setting. Sterling Lockwood is an unforgettable heroine’ Elly Griffiths, author of The Frozen People

‘Sultry, sinister and smart. Sterling Lockwood is going to steal your heart – just don’t trust her with it’ Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

In modern Vienna, the infamous Hotel Orient glitters at the heart of the city, luring lovers inside for an evening of debauchery. Behind its velvet curtain, cameras are forbidden, aliases are required, and every guest has something to hide.

For those seeking illicit liaisons, Sterling Lockwood is the perfect concierge. Sultry and poised, she’s the ultimate keeper of secrets, including her own.

But when dawn breaks and two of the anonymous guests are found dead in their suite, Sterling must break the Orient’s sacred code of discretion, turning detective to find a killer and clear her own name.

Alongside Fernando, her quick-witted friend and bellhop, Sterling steps beyond the hotel’s stained-glass doors, venturing from grand coffee houses where power whispers between porcelain cups, to dimly lit bars where the curious seek rapturous oblivion, and risking everything to solve an impossible case.