Outside of the refined halls of Edinburgh University, a young Arthur Conan Doyle is learning his first lessons... in murder. In 1878, when Mr. Doyle (Robin Laing) meets the brilliant Dr. Bell (Ian Richardson), he is drawn away from his medical studies into a new world of crime investigation. As the pair assist local police in solving their most gruesome cases, Doyle becomes fascinated with Bell's uncanny talent for outthinking seasoned detectives and outwitting the most clever criminals. However, one particularly vicious cat-and-mouse game has a different outcome. Doyle finds his life completely changed and even Dr. Bell's agile mind cannot predict how this story will end!