The action takes place in new York around a lone private detective Lionel Essrog, who suffers from Turret's syndrome: a man periodically screams and twitches, which prevents him from working normally. When his only friend and mentor, Frank Minna, is killed, Lionel decides to conduct his own investigation. The hero is not afraid that he will have to fight against the most powerful man in the city — Moses Randolph. The search for the truth will lead Essrog to the jazz clubs of Harlem, the slums of Brooklyn, the hideouts of gangsters and luxury salons where the corrupt political elite gathers.