London, June 1835: When Charles Dickens and his fiancée Kate check in on Miss Haverstock, the elderly spinster who resides in the flat above his, they find her decomposing corpse adorned in a faded gown that looks like a wedding dress. A murderer has set the stage, but to what purpose? As news of an escaped convict reaches the couple, Charles expects the prisoner, Ned Blood, may be responsible, but in this sequel to A Tale of Two Murders, Kate suspects more personal motives. Soon they must also deal with Miss Haverstock's cold and haughty illegitimate daughter, and as Charles and Kate sift through the old woman's past, the couple will have to risk their lives to unveil the truth.