A young worker slides down the laundry chute in the Royal Free Hospital in London to find out why
it is blocked and to her horror lands on top of the body of Prudence Barrymore, a Florence Nightingale nurse who has been strangled and dumped down the chute. Chief
Inspector Runcorn is determined that his inspector concentrates on proving that Dr. Kristian Beck be is guilty. Lady Callandra Daviot of the board of governors, confused about her feelings towards the doctor hopes he did not do it and asks the brilliant detective, Monk, to take the case.
Monk is no longer on the police force and has no authority to access police
information. He has to resort to his own methods to get information. Hester Latterly, another Florence Nightingale nurse who has helped him in the past takes the murdered woman’s place at the hospital to dig up information.
Monk continues to struggle to regain the memory he lost in an accident. Who was he – why do others fear and dislike him so much. In the meantime a love/hate relationship is developing with Hester who is quite blunt herself.
As the case inches toward the gallows, with difficulty they break through the silence to their relief, but also to the very unhappy reality of the situation.