Anxious to escape from both the memories of her dead grandparents, as well as a myriad of elderly aunts — all eager to convince her to settled down and become a wife, mother, and bastion of Philadelphia society, Dr. Victoria Rose Thorne arrives in Manchester, to take over her cousin's medical practice.

Although she finds the town and nearly all its occupants pleasant, she soon discovers this isn't the sleepy, problem-free place she'd hoped it would be. First one young girl's body is discovered, and then another. Something she would never have believed is going on. But, only a select few of the town's people are privy to the horror they suspect.

And Dr. Thorne, along with her new friends, are not going to let these atrocities continue. But, even as the body count continues to rise, they are no nearer to finding out anything. So now, Pinkerton detectives are brought in as backup.

But even they are failing. So, it's all up to Dr. Thorne.