The source material contains excerpts from a novel focusing on a complex criminal investigation and its emotional aftermath in 19th-century London. Two main figures, the police officer Evan and the private investigator Monk, are pursuing separate but interconnected cases: Evan is investigating the murder of Leighton Duff and the severe injury of his son, Rhys, who is rendered mute by shock; meanwhile, Monk is hired to track down wealthy men who are raping and brutally beating poor women in the Seven Dials area. A key secondary figure is Hester Latterly, a former Crimean nurse, who is caring for Rhys and navigating her complicated relationships with Monk and the solicitor Sir Oliver Rathbone, who eventually defends Rhys against the charge of patricide.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.