It is 1899. The Reverend George Hobb has been attacked by a gang and is now recovering, bloodied and bruised, in a dark prison cell. A York-based barrister, James Cairn, is called to defend Hobb in what appears to be an open-and-shut case, except for one thing: the Reverend has swapped his dog collar for a woman's dress. The authorities are determined to make an example of Hobb - but why? Can Cairn prove his innocence? After receiving a blackmail threat, Cairn hires Mortimer Blakely, a private investigator. When Blakely mysteriously goes missing, Cairn realises that his own life is in danger.