1850: When Charles Dickens discovers the corpse of an actor on the empty stage of a Manchester theatre Dickens himself becomes the number one suspect. But with the help of colleague and trusted friend Superintendent Jones of Bow Street the two set out to find the identity of the real murderer. The search takes them into the slums of Manchester and to the fog-bound streets of London, where some startling discoveries are made and Dickens's life is threatened before this unusual case reaches its ultimate and thrilling climax.