The end of the 19th century, scientific and technological progress is gaining momentum, and debates on medical issues are in full swing. After the death of her husband, emancipated widow Cora Seaborne decides to leave London and move to a cozy village in Essex, where Will Ransom serves as the local vicar. For several days now, the village has been agitated by rumors about a mythical snake that has appeared in the surrounding swamps and feeds on human flesh. Cora, a keen naturalist and scientific enthusiast, does not believe in any fairy tale dragons and decides to find the reason for the strange tales. She believes that the snake is simply a species of reptile unknown to science that needs to be described for scientific purposes. The vicar sees in the panic that has gripped his flock a threat to faith and therefore also strives to find out the truth as soon as possible. Moving towards the truth from different directions, convinced opponents find themselves involved in a strange and mysterious story. Elegant, smart, with literary play, the novel takes on a variety of guises - now a detective story, now a love story, and even a novel of manners. Sarah Perry deftly balances on the line between historical reality and fiction, Victorian and modernist novel: in her book the reader will find witty Dickensian beggars, and love scenes, and poetic descriptions of nature. This is a fantasy on historical themes, but the fantasy is full-blooded and alive.