1816. Leonidas Paige, notorious for satirical cartoons and newspapers fears for his safety and hires a bodyguard to protect him from his countless enemies. But the decision proves futile when the bodyguard is attacked and Paige is found dead in this midst of his burnt newspapers. Identical twins Peter and Paul SKillen arrive on the scene to find the killers before their jealous rivals, the Bow Street Runners, do so. As the brothers investigate, a group of highly influential political figures start to emergy, each one with a strong motive to kill Paige. Secret favors and clever disguises conspire to block and frustrate the Skillen brothers, and Paul is dogged by the fear that his beloved Hannah Granville, an actress performing in Paris, is in grave danger. With time running out, the twins have to confront the killers then identify the man who hired them. In a fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, obsession and deceit, they are sent racing off to France. Can the Bow Street Rivals get to Paris in time to catch the villain and avert a disaster for Hannah Granville?