England, 1910. Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic expedition, his latest bid to be the first to the South Pole, is loading at the London docks for an imminent departure. But someone is plotting to disrupt Scott's expedition. Vandals have broken into their warehouse, smashing their supplies. The local constable, investigating the disturbance, has been murdered.

Detective Inspector Harry Meyers takes on the case. He discovers a sinister and organized plot to destroy Scott's expedition, one that could bring it to a premature and bloody end. As Harry investigates, dark forces are working against him.

Against orders, Harry calls his long-time mentor, Augustus Parker, a former Scotland Yard police detective. Parker commands a prodigious intellect and extensive contacts in the London underworld as well as the upper levels of society.

But Harry carries a secret from his past, a hidden weakness that weighs heavily on him as the case develops.