Britain, 1820. After the wars with France, the government lives in mortal fear of social unrest. Rider Sandman is a hero of Waterloo struggling to repay his debts when he becomes involved in the case of a man waiting to be hanged in prison. Given the job by the Home Secretary of investigating the man's guilt, Sandman finds himself knee-deep in labyrinthine plots involving bribes, sedition and a massive conspiracy of silence.