Roman rasskazyvaet o molodom, neopytnom konsteble mistere Forsberge, kotoryy vedomyy sobstvennymi predrassudkami beretsya za rassledovanie neskol'kikh zagadochnykh proisshestviy, sluchivshikhsya v Prentvile: obychnyy voznitsa, uzrev na svoem kebe ogromnogo vorona, slyshit ot ptitsy slova proklyatiya i padaet zamertvo. Yunyy vor, ustremivshis' za sluchaynoy zhertvoy, pugayas' sobstvennoy teni, umiraet na meste. Kazalos' by nichego osobennogo? No tol'ko ne dlya mistera Forsberga. Ego pytlivyy um, upryamo ne khochet verit' v ochevidnost' proisshedshego. Shag za shagom, on okazyvaetsya vtyanutym v strannoe pari, zaklyuchennoe Bessmertnymi, kotorye yavlyayutsya khozyaevami Serogo goroda, gde iskupayut svoi grekhi proklyatye dushi.