An unforgettable story set in Victorian London, from the author of Channel 4 TV Book Club selection Half of the Human Race

In 1882, David Wildeblood, a 21-year-old from rural Norfolk, arrives in London to start work at the offices of a famous man. His job is to investigate the notorious slum of Somers Town, recording house by house the number of inhabitants, their occupations and standard of living. The deeper he penetrates the everyday squalor the more appalled he is by mounting evidence that someone is making a profit from people's suffering. Passionate but reckless in his urge to uncover corruption he finds his life in danger, sustained only by the faithfulness of a friend and, ultimately, the love of a woman.