I have a great affection for England, the Victorian novel in general, and the writer Charles Dickens in particular. This book brings together all of that.

The main character in the book is John Huffam, who takes his name from Charles Dickens’ full name—Charles John Huffman Dickens. Since Dickens didn’t like to use those middle names, I decided I could.

The story takes place in the year 1849, when Dickens’ David Copperfield was first serialized. That too, enters the story. While there are other elements from Dickens’ life in the book—his father being sent to debtor’s prison a key one—the book is not based on Dickens life. Rather, I take London life from that time, and tell the tale in a style that focuses on character and rich description, all of which are molded together to create a spy story full of surprising twists and exciting turns, including an ending that won’t be guessed.