A rash of abductions of young boys that end up brutally murdered is plaguing London, and police are powerless to stop it. When William Moriarty discovers a clue linking all the victims, he and his brothers take an interest in the case.

In 1866, a brilliant young orphan and his ailing younger brother are taken in by a charitable aid organization, where they catch the attention of the son of an earl, who is discontent with Britain's class system.

Albert invites the brothers to come live at the Moriarty's estate, but the pair are not warmly welcomed by the other members of the household. Albert grows increasingly disturbed by his family's intolerance, and resorts to drastic measures.

William begins teaching at a university, and is invited to dinner at the home of the Viscount of Belfor. He and his brothers receive a tour of the viscount's well-kept conservatory, but are taken aback by what they hear of the gardener and his wife.

Lucian, one of William's students, fails to come home for three days, while the pub waitress Lucian declared his love for leaps to her death from a bridge. However, one of the school's administrators assures William that there is no cause for alarm.

William embarks on a new project to make the citizens of London audience to crimes exposing the skewed nature of the world. For his first performance, he chooses the luxury cruise ship Noahtic, where he encounters an extraordinary man.

William helps to cover up Enders's crime, and Enders believes he is in the clear. As the first ballet performed aboard a sailing vessel takes place, William and the others secretly prepare another production in criminal theatre behind the scenes.

After receiving the approval of Miss Hudson, landlady of 221B Baker Street, John H. Watson, recently returned from the Afghan War, becomes the housemate of consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, who himself is soon implicated in a serious crime.

Searching for the true killer of Count Drebber, Sherlock and John set a trap for the culprit using a wedding ring found at the murder scene as bait. After a struggle in which the ring is lost, Sherlock is able to deduce who the real killer is.

Holmes is frustrated at the thought of there being a mastermind behind the Noahtic and Drebber cases whose identity eludes him. After an unsatisfying investigation into a third nobleman death, Holmes has a chance encounter on a train.

With 48 minutes remaining before the train reaches the next station, Sherlock declares that William and he can find the murderer in time. Sherlock relies on the evidence at the scene, while William pursues a psychological profile of the killer.