Towards the end of the 19th century, London is shocked by the mysterious suicides committed among the high society. These events are of interest to three friends who meet at a chess club. When one of them dies in mysterious circumstances, the others decide to undertake a private investigation. Their trail leads them to the mysterious Ms Beaumont…

In 1932, two years after the initial Antarctic expedition, another sets off to try and discover exactly what happened on that fateful trip. Before it leaves, a stranger gives a notebook to the expedition director, Howard Pym, and implores him to read it before they reach their destination. Preoccupied with the voyage ahead, Howard forgets about it, and naively sails into the dangerous waters ahead.