When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over his desk, she knows his death means a crisis for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate, including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked, to their half-brother and his wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London's Barton Street. But before they go, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery: a suspicious substance in their father's teacup, one that can only be described as poison. And poison, as Marianne's father taught her, always points to murder. It could be dangerous; it could ruin their reputations; and most importantly, it won't bring back their father. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father's murderer to justice, it may bring them all some comfort, and it might even lead to love.