Set against the turbulent backdrop of the 1780 anti-Catholic Gordon Riots in London, this novel follows Barnaby Rudge, a gentle, simple-minded man, and his talking raven, Grip. The narrative unravels an old, unsolved murder linked to the secretive Rudge family and the dark secrets of the Warren. As Barnaby is swept up in the social hysteria, the destruction reveals long-hidden truths about betrayal and violence.