In the winter of 1835, Charles Dickens, a rising journalist, and his colleague's daughter, Kate Hogarth, investigate the mysterious death of Miss Christiana Lugoson after hearing a scream during a dinner. Discovering a similar death occurred a year prior, Charles suspects poisoning and investigates with Kate's help, uncovering dark secrets within the upper crust of society.

Charles Dickens and Kate Hogarth are alarmed by the smell of death upon visiting their neighbor, Miss Haverstock, only to find her decomposing body dressed as if for a wedding she never had. Linking the death to an escaped convict, Ned Blood, they explore various motives behind the staged murder, uncovering secrets and navigating through upper-class society to solve the mystery.

Charles Dickens and his fiancée Kate Hogarth's festive evening turns grim when they find Jacob Harley's body, adorned with chains, having plummeted from a window. Suspecting Emmanuel Screws, the victim's business partner, Charles investigates Harley's ghostly visits and Screws's past, while also finding a home for an orphaned infant amid solving the murder.

Accused of murder and imprisoned, Charles Dickens's fiancée, Kate Hogarth, strives to prove his innocence. Investigating a basement maze where Charles discovered Samuel Pickwick's body, Kate must solve riddles from poison pen letters to navigate through the case, seeking assistance from friends and family to unveil the true murderer and save Charles.

Ollie, John, and Arthur, once mudlarks turned boarding school students through Charles Dickens's aid, go missing along with a treasure map. Charles and his fiancée Kate Hogarth arrive at the school to search for them but find a servant girl strangled, connected to the missing map. Dickens and Kate race against time, dodging dangers to find the boys and the map, fearing for their lives amidst hidden treasures and murder.