It's 1907 and Kathleen Matthews is the first woman admitted to McGill's medical school. Kathleen's dream of achieving a medical degree is fraught with obstacles, not the least of which is the growing resentment of male students, led by Malcolm Paul, her rival for academic honours. Ernie Lundy, a psychopathic killer, is confined to a cell at the Neurological Institute. He struggles to gain control of his addled mind and escape his tormentors. Inspector Danny Bouvette pursues Lundy for three Montréal murders, including the vicious murder of Kathleen's McGill mentor, Professor Pierre Ducharme. Jimmy Moyer, an enterprising reporter with the Montréal Gazette, is hot on the trail of his first big story and is determined to make his mark in the world of journalism. The trail leads him to Professor Ducharme's controversial opiates treatment of Boer War shell shock victims. Moyer is determined to publish every detail of the story and he aggressively pursues Kathleen and others to this end. His published stories embarrass Kathleen and threaten powerful interests in Montréal, including Gunny Ryan, leader of the West End Gang, and Sir John Patterson, Principal of McGill. Kathleen's courageous pursuit of her medical degree, Moyer's determination to publish the whole story and Lundy's struggle for freedom make for suspense and a thrilling conclusion.