The Prettifier is a historical thriller in the tradition of The Alienist.

In 1827, whores are being murdered in New York City. Nathaniel Hawthorne, who is visiting the City, is hit on the head after following a curious stranger to a cemetery hidden in the woods. Stumbling to a nearby tavern, he meets Osric Primrose.

Intrigued by Hawthorne’s story, Primrose brings Hawthorne to meet Madame Beatrice. The three of them return to the cemetery where they discover six small mounds. These graves contain objects, which appear to be mementoes of the recent murders.

They consult with Uriah Corn, a magistrate’s man, who assists with law enforcement in this time before the creation of police departments. Corn shows them the corpse of a recently murdered whore. Her throat has been slashed but her cheeks have been rouged, her hair brushed, and her clothes neatened. This “prettifying” is the apparent signature of the killer.

With the ongoing presence of Mister Hawthorne – and soon eight-year-old Walt Whitman who witnesses one of the murders – Paradise, Primrose, and Corn investigate and eventually solve the crimes.