The story takes place in Melbourne, Australia and involves an investigation into a homicide where the deceased was discovered in the evening inside of a hansom cab. The city of Melbourne is itself a significant factor in the plot and setting. Throughout the novel the influential and secretive Frettlby family is a key element and it is revealed later in the book that they have an illegitimate daughter living on the streets. The identity of the killer is not as much of a significant revelation in the story, as is the role of the Frettlby family and their secret. The class divide between the wealthy and less fortunate of the city of Melbourne is juxtaposed throughout the plot. The protagonist in the novel is a policeman named Detective Gorby, who is given the task of solving the murder.