A man is accused of murdering his wealthy woman friend in order to secure his inheritance. The defendant's mysterious wife stuns the courtroom by giving damaging testimony against her husband. The web of intrigue is finally unwoven in a shocking, chilling conclusion.

Young Mary Yellan, orphaned and sent to live with her aunt on the British Coast, didn't suspect the truth about her new home, the Jamaica Inn. But when she realizes that pirates are using the inn as a base for smuggling, she sets in motion a series of events involving secret agents and murder.