When Fitzroy saved his valet, Griffin, from the hangman's noose after the death of his wife, the facts behind those events were known only to the two of them. Now, years later, the body of a dead woman has been discovered, mutilated in exactly the same way as Griffin's wife, and troubling secrets from the past cast a deadly shadow over those involved.

As the war intensifies, Fitzroy is sent on an overseas mission, Griffin is arrested, and a recovering Euphemia Martins is left to get to the bottom of the situation. With her brother-in-law Hans, and Fitzroy's dog, Jack, in tow, she journeys to the University of Edinburgh's medical school, where Griffin studied many years ago, to uncover the shocking truth behind his wife's murder...