Private investigator John March is hired by Claire Ward to follow her husband, Charles Dexter Ward, who has been acting strangely since inheriting a family estate. Suspicious activities at the estate lead March to discover that Charles has been delving into forbidden alchemical research, attempting to resurrect the dead. The deeper March digs, the more he uncovers about a dark history of necromancy tied to Charles's ancestor, Joseph Curwen, who practiced horrific rituals in secret. As March and Claire uncover remnants of Curwen's monstrous experiments, it becomes clear that the line between life and death has been perilously blurred.

The investigation takes a chilling turn when March finds evidence suggesting that Charles's research might have succeeded. Strange corpses and ghastly remains indicate that something otherworldly and sinister has been awakened. The closer March gets to the truth, the more he realizes the peril they face, as ancient forces best left undisturbed begin to make their presence felt. Tensions rise as the stakes become increasingly dire, leading to revelations and confronting the horrors that have resurfaced from the past. The essence of madness and malevolence threatens to consume them as they close in on the terrible secret of Charles's experiments and Curwen's dark legacy.