It is a historical novel that tells the intersecting stories of two real-life figures - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and George Edalji, a half-Indian solicitor wrongfully accused of a crime.
The book alternates between the early lives and backgrounds of Arthur and George, who grew up in very different circumstances in late-19th-century Britain.
George, the son of a vicar, is falsely convicted in the "Great Wyrley Outrages" case, which involved a series of animal mutilations and other alleged crimes.
Arthur, initially skeptical of George's innocence, eventually supports his cause after examining the flawed evidence and realizing the role that racial prejudice played in the case.
A significant portion also covers Arthur's personal life - his relationship with his first wife Louisa, who suffered from tuberculosis, his deep affection for Jean Leckie; and his strong interest in spiritualism.

Developed by AI