Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be tried for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Travelling with him is loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, determined to prove his friend innocent, and noble woman Sara Wessel. But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight their voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock are slaughtered. And then three passengers are marked for death. With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent and Sara can solve a mystery that connects every passenger on board.