A brutal murder in Victorian London forces a famous writer to solve the mystery . . . London, 1849 Charles Dickens has set up Urania Cottage as a sanctuary for fallen women. But he is shocked when the matron's assistant-Patience Brooke-is found hanging outside the property, covered in blood. Desperate to protect the reputation of the Home and to stop a scandal from spreading, Dickens takes the investigation into his own hands. With the help of his good friend, Superintendent Sam Jones of Bow Street, and a description of the suspect as "a man with a crooked face", Dickens's search takes him deep into the filthy slums of Victorian London. Can Dickens save his reputation? Will he find out the secrets of Patience Brooke's troubled past? Or will the killer strike again . . . ?