1890: A killer stalks the Isle of Faxfleet, a tiny, independent Yorkshire kingdom inhabited by eccentrics and Victorian dropouts, and ruled by King Ludwig, a man obsessed with creating an academy of geniuses. When an academy member is killed by an arrow, Scotland Yard dispatches Inspector Abberline, the world-famous "Ripper Detective," and his assistant Thomas Lloyd. The case is as fascinating as it is perplexing, and leads to a series of decidedly peculiar crimes and a thrilling climax that plunges both men into danger.