Murdoch is drawn into the naughty world of Victorian erotica and blackmail when he investigates the murder of Abigail Tunstall, a young woman who had been posing for salacious photographs. Interviews with Abigail's friends and family and the discovery of one of her erotic photos help Murdoch zero in on the location where the pictures were taken – a studio owned by a photographer named Marcus Evans. When Murdoch searches through photo collections for clues to Abigail's murder he makes a startling discovery – one of McHugh's erotic models is none other than Sally Pendrick, the vivacious and beautiful wife of Murdoch's nemesis, the rich and powerful industrialist James Pendrick.

Murdoch is called upon to investigate an exceedingly strange murder. The deceased was found inside a room locked from within with no other entrance. But there's more to the case than that – the victim appears to have exploded and burned, yet there is no trace of an explosion or fire. Before Murdoch can proceed with his investigation, the case takes a bizarre turn when old friend and world-renowned inventor Nikola Tesla appears, announcing cryptically that he is "too late."

Murdoch learns from Terence Meyers that James Pendrick has been abducted and the inventor's life is in danger.