She's a mistress of disguise with the acumen of Miss Marple, the resourcefulness of Enola Holmes and a helper who always gets into trouble.

London, October 1920. Maud West and her young assistant Max Finch have just solved an intricate investigation and are preparing to celebrate with a nice lunch when the phone rings. It’s a wealthy lady who hires Maud to investigate her husband’s suspected cheating. It sounds like easy money, but what starts out as a trivial case of marital infidelity turns out to be something far more intricate and elusive. A series of mysteries, hidden one in the other like a matryoshka, will lead to murder, blackmail and a plot against the Queen to take possession of a military patent. A plot behind which could be hidden the most heinous of all criminal organisations, that of the Hundred Masks...

• Maud West really existed in early twentieth-century London: she is one of the first Lady Detectives in history, running her own private agency for over thirty years in a world completely dominated by men.

• There's a lot to say about her, including her very modern choice to advertise with storytelling, i.e., by writing fictionalised versions of her cases, which she then published for a fee in the press.

• Maud’s stories, like those of Enola Holmes, focus on a woman’s resourcefulness, the drive for emancipation and independence, and following one’s passions and dreams.

• Thrilling stories, full of suspense and fun, with a touch of reflection on the society around us and also with a pinch of romance.