Bernice Chandler is a knight of the Order of Joan tasked with protecting the public from magical menaces. Today's mission: retrieve a Brownie No. 2 camera with unspecified arcane properties and return it to the Order for safekeeping. But another magical menace has appeared on the scene, bringing chaos with him: Valentino Morandi, a notorious Chicago bootlegger, club owner, and demi-demon extraordinaire. He's also after the camera, along with a host of other interested parties, and it isn't long before Bernie realizes there's a lot more to this mission than meets the eye. With her own secrets at risk of exposure, Bernie suddenly finds a lot more is at stake than simply landing her next promotion...

Gangs, covens, and military secrets collide in this thrilling prequel to First-Degree Magic, offering another tantalizing peek into the Degrees of Magic series and the larger Joaniverse.