1828: Sydney is a city built on the backs of exiled convicts. But in a colony of criminals, how do you narrow down the list of suspects when a murderer is on the rampage? Nicodemus Dunne was a London policeman. After being deported on trumped up charges of assault, he now makes his living in New South Wales as a running patterer, spreading the news of the day by word of mouth. Confronted with a series of gruesome and horribly inventive murders, the governor seeks out Dunne for his investigative skills and his ability to infiltrate all levels of society. With each mutilated body, the murderer has left clues for Dunne to decipher. Can he put the pieces of the puzzle together and catch his elusive quarry without becoming prey himself?