Edinburgh, 1791. Isobel Duguid and her friend Clepsydro are the stars of the Edinburgh Musical Society. Clepsydro sings opera and Isobel sings famously dark Scottish ballads, despite being incapable of holding a tune. They roam the streets of Edinburgh, enjoying an opulent lifestyle. One night a note arrives from the mysterious Cecilia Abercorn, asking if Isobel's most notorious song, The Fiddler's Wrath, might be included in a book. It's the tale of a prima donna who died of heartbreak after her husband committed murder and was sent to the gallows. Isobel is intrigued. But Mrs. Abercorn's curiosity about the ballad is far more than a fickle interest. When Clepsydro goes missing, Isobel is forced to confront her past and the truth about The Fiddler's Wrath begins to emerge.