John Cornelius Griffin, universally known to friends and foes alike as Vice, is born into Hell's Kitchen in New York city in 1868. As a youngster he is part of the gang violence of the city. Later, tough and ready for just about anything, Vice is recruited by Afrikaners who see in him the ideal spy for their cause. Vice accepts and sets sail from his native city.In London he is involved in the hunt for the Whitechapel murderer, Jack the Ripper. In southern Africa, where gold fever has struck Johannesburg, Vice is caught up in a maelstrom of events, momentous and personal. Will he escape with his life? Will he find love?This is story-telling like it used to be - a kaleidoscope of characters, the tumult of events, and at the centre a character who is determined to succeed and to survive.