When a proprietor at the Goblin Market is found murdered in his shop, Aisling Weaver is on the case. It was supposed to be a routine investigation. It was also Aisling’s chance at redemption. True, it wasn’t particularly high profile. But after her last little slip up? A win was a win.

The investigation leads Aisling to Nicholas, a gifted but reclusive artificer. Nicholas admits to frequenting the murder victim’s shop, and even shows Aisling the invention he is working on. Unknown to Aisling, this invention could challenge the hegemony of the powers that be, by blending science and magic like never before. Given the Goblin Market’s rumored reputation for dealing in magical contraband, Aisling starts to suspect that a missing component in Nicholas’ invention is the catalyst for the recent events. The mystery only deepens when an attempt is made on Nicholas’ life. Pressure mounts when Aisling’s supervisor tells her she has two weeks to discreetly close the case. With scarcely any leads, and her window to solve the mystery dwindling, the odds seem stacked against her. Will Aisling manage to marshal her wits and resourcefulness to win the day? Or will this “routine” investigation bring her career to an unceremonious end?