A thief haunts the Circus Salmagundi, stealing bits of silver and cheap jewelry from the performers, and Rose the Tattooed Lady is determined to unmask the culprit before anything of real value is stolen. But when the circus sails into Port Alberni, the burglar leaves the boats to strike again, nabbing an ancient coin from an eccentric French historian. The theft sparks a series of accusations that spiral out of control, giving strength to interpersonal feuds while tarnishing the circus' reputation. As Rose is drawn deeper into the mystery, secret stories of forgotten histories, ghosts, racial tensions, and lost seafarers threaten to tear the town's foundations apart. Can Rose discover the culprit, return the coin, and restore the circus' good name before theft turns to murder? Navigating a twisting labyrinth of fortune telling, false accusations, and forgotten history, Knife and Bone exposes how previously-pleasant perceptions can be poisoned when doubt and distrust creep in. As Miss Rose herself proclaims, ‘Nothing sucks the joy out of a summer’s day like the prediction of certain death.'