The long, drawn-out case of Jarndyce versus Jarndyce provides the background to this novel which takes us into a world of impoverished street-dwellers, lovers fallen on hard times and the grand riches of the upper classes. A generous abridgement spanning 9 CDs
The first message sent to Tom Thorne's phone was just a picture - the blurred image of a man's face, but Thorne had seen enough dead bodies to know that the man was no longer alive. But who was he? Who sent the photograph? And why? While the technical experts attempt to trace the sender, Thorne searches the bulletins for a reported death that matches the photograph. Then another picture arrives.