Katherine, Irina and Marissa are three women whose stories are woven into this novel. Set against the glittering backdrop of Imperial Russia before the devastation of the First World War and Revolution, it contrasts the lifestyle of the rich with the deprivation and struggles of the poor. It is also a novel of love and loss, altruism, ruthlessness and espionage, bringing to life the intrigue and plotting by the men and women who brought about the end of the three hundred year rule of Russia by the House of Romanov.