The novel studies the mind of a serial killer, who is hiding himself within the shelter of an extended, respectable family, which has roots in both England and The Bahamas. The murderer believes that he is the Devil's Regent, and he pays homage to his Master with every killing The young man's role models are Jack the Ripper and Burke and Hare, the Edinburgh body-snatchers. He takes great pride in his stalking abilities as he tries to emulate the exploits of his mentors. His hunting grounds are the fields and woods of his home town; the ski-slopes of Switzerland; the caves of the Pyrenees along the French/Spanish border; night-tours of the Edinburgh Festival and the foggy streets of Whitechapel in modern London. During his search for new killing fields the Regent embarks on a Caribbean Cruise; but his murder of a female passenger is flawed, and he finds himself at the centre of an investigation led by a Bahamian Police Officer, who might just be his half-brother.