The narrative begins in the winter of 1703, with Matthew still haunted by his lethal encounter with notorious mass murderer, Tyranthus Slaughter. When an unexplained series of explosions rocks his Manhattan neighbourhood, Matthew is forced to confront a new and unexpected problem. Someone is trying to get his attention. That someone is a shadowy figure from Matthew’s past - the elusive Professor Fell. The professor has a problem of his own, one that requires the exclusive services of Matthew Corbett.

The ensuing narrative moves swiftly and gracefully from the emerging metropolis of New York City to Pendulum Island in the remote Bermudas. In his journey, Matthew encounters a truly Dickensian assortment of memorable antagonists. These include Sirki, the deceptively soft-spoken East Indian killer, Dr. Jonathan Gentry, an expert in exotic potions with a substance abuse problem, the beautiful but murderous Aria Chillany, and, of course, the master manipulator and ‘Emperor of Crime’ on two continents, Professor Fell himself. The result is both an exquisitely constructed novel of suspense and a meticulous recreation of a bygone era.