Beka Cooper, lower city Corus, partnered with Tunstall. set between Bloodhound and Mastiff, late summer/early fall of HE 248. The Cesspool Ripper (a la Jack the Ripper) shows up and starts committing murders that are especially brutal, even for the worst parts of the lower city. the ripper does his dirty work during night watch, but he's terrorizing one of the most vulnerable populations (doxies too low standing to be part of the court of the rogue, those who have few family and friends to help them), and, of course, Beka is determined to protect *all* the people of the lower city. frustrating investigation ensues

Beka and Holborn are courting but already things aren't perfect for them, we see the threads starting to fray at the ends before they truly unravel the next spring. Beka enlists the help of her friends and pigeons and dust spinners and Achoo in the seeking, but with rumors flying, it's hard to determine what's true and what's scummer in the whispers about the ripper...

The biggest heartbreaking irony about Tunstall's betrayal in Mastiff is that...if he hadn't done it, if he'd just...stayed true to the end and rescued the Prince with Beka, Sabine, & Farmer...he would have gotten exactly what he wanted! The King would have given him a title! He would have gotten what he thought he needed to be "worthy" of Sabine! (Let alone the fact that she didn't want or need him to have a fancy title to be "worthy" of him. She loved HIM for HIM. Sigh...).