Geoffrey Bolting, a dysfunctional librarian in his fifties, has, much to his surprise, finally become a successful writer. Netflix loved his very unconventional view of the cause of The Great Fire of London and bought his book, Conspiracy of Fire, and have commissioned him to turn it into a six part television series. But he's unhappy with the idea of fame and struggling to stay in the same dimension as everyone else while the lovely Hettie helps and supports him. The death of his agent followed swiftly by the death of his mother, who had always been his beacon, sends Geoffrey perilously close to the edge.
His next book about WW1, Conspiracy of War (Slaughter of the Innocents), examines the real causes of WW1, causes that bear no resemblance to anything written in the history books. Netflix wants it and it looks set to follow the path of Conspiracy of Fire. However life, that capricious beast, is not finished with Geoffrey. The images of his research take their toll of a man already detached from reality and pitches him over the edge of sanity into a world of different dimensions and nightmares.
After his second suicide attempt he is admitted to a private mental clinic where he struggles to find the man he used to be. The man he wants to be but it is a long and very painful journey, not least for Hettie who is thinking that it's maybe time to call a halt. However, Geoffrey wants his life back. He wants Hettie and builds his mental lifeboat that takes him back to reality. To fame, fortune and a life with the gorgeous Hettie.