The year is 1941, and Michael James is a struggling lawyer in war-torn London. His father, the eminent and highly regarded physician Charles James, is to be the recipient of a knighthood but dies of natural causes before he receives the honor. At the funeral Michael is approached by an old man Jonathon Sandpiper, who claims to have known his father when they were medical students at the London Hospital, Whitechapel, and relates that Michael will soon find out the truth and that he holds what is left of his life in his hands. His search to authenticate the truth unwittingly leads him into the world of corruption, trafficking, prostitution and espionage.
