For the snobbish, upper-crust that live around London"s Regent"s Park, the homeless are an eye-sore and a nuisance. Only Mary Jargo, a meek, sensitive young woman who has recently moved into the neighborhood to house-sit shows compassion. She often shares food and conversation with the unfortunates, particularly Effie, Dill, Roman, and Pharaoh. When someone starts murdering members of Regent"s homeless community and lancing them on the spiked fencing that encloses the park, only Mary seems to notice or care. Through her quest to discover the murderer, she embarks on a journey to overcome what she perceives to be her own insecurities and passivity.