In 1811, London was rocked by the Ratcliffe Highway murders, where two families were brutally massacred within a week. Almost half a century later, Thomas De Quincey returns to the city, vividly describing this tragedy in his essay “Murder as One of the Fine Arts.” A few days after his arrival, another family suffers the same terrible death. It seems that someone was inspired by the book and uses it as a guide to action. Suspicion falls on De Quincey himself. With the help of his daughter Emily and two Scotland Yard detectives, he must discover the truth before more blood is shed and stop a killer whose brutality rivals Jack the Ripper himself.