The source material contains excerpts from a novel focusing on a complex criminal investigation and its emotional aftermath in 19th-century London. Two main figures, the police officer Evan and the private investigator Monk, are pursuing separate but interconnected cases: Evan is investigating the murder of Leighton Duff and the severe injury of his son, Rhys, who is rendered mute by shock; meanwhile, Monk is hired to track down wealthy men who are raping and brutally beating poor women in the Seven Dials area. A key secondary figure is Hester Latterly, a former Crimean nurse, who is caring for Rhys and navigating her complicated relationships with Monk and the solicitor Sir Oliver Rathbone, who eventually defends Rhys against the charge of patricide.