It’s the spring of 1901 and Harry Reese is seeking a link between the apparent suicide of an insurance agent and the untimely deaths of two of his clients. In the meantime, his wife Emmie is planting vague rumors of murder in an effort to gain a more desirable apartment.

To solve this case, Harry’s obliged to visit a miscellany of vice dens, including dive saloons, gambling parlors, and a brothel—not to mention the state of New Jersey—while crooked cops, opportunistic con men, and his eccentric wife do what they can to mislead him.