Against the backdrop of London in the Swinging Sixties, Penelope Lloyd-Hargreaves, recently called to the Bar, serves her pupillage under the supervision of Henry Morton, the senior barrister at Forsythe Chambers. Defending a young man framed for murder, Penny and Morton find their case is part of something far larger and more complex, involving corruption in high places and an international crime syndicate that will stop at nothing to protect their interests. As the intrigue unfolds and the repercussions escalate, Penny learns that being a barrister is not all about law books and theory, and she receives the sort of legal education that wasn't covered in her lectures at the Inns of Court. Hardworking, astute and ambitious, Penny is determined to take silk before the age of forty. Having devoted herself to her studies, leaving no time for a social life, Penny is caught off guard by the charming James Ogilvie, her very first client. But as a young woman, can she successfully balance the demands of her profession and society's expectations with the allure of a budding romance? Will she and Morton, and those they care about, avoid retribution and escape unscathed during the criminal investigations? Along the way, Penny and Morton learn some surprising truths about the criminal mind, the legal system, and themselves.