Adrian Ashcroft

Introduction Blackhaven, 1900. The empire is gripped by fear. On the last night of every month, another young woman disappears without leaving a single trace. No witness survives. No ransom is ever demanded. Only a black rose is found at every scene. After a year of failure, the Imperial Government makes one final decision. They summon Adrian Ashcroft, the nation's most brilliant young detective. Escorted into a hidden government headquarters, Adrian is personally welcomed by Commander Evelyn Hawthorne, who places a classified file before him. She speaks only one sentence. "Detective... if you cannot solve this case, no one ever will." And with that, the greatest investigation in the empire's history begins.