It is 1845 and New York City is a sprawling warren of gaslit streets and crowded avenues. Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven is all the rage and the success of which a struggling poet like Frances Osgood can only dream. As a mother trying to support two young children after her husband's cruel betrayal, Frances jumps at the chance to meet the illustrious Mr. Poe at a small literary gathering, if only to help her fledgling career. Although not a great fan of Poe's writing, she is nonetheless overwhelmed by his magnetic presence and the surprising revelation that he admires her work. What follows is a flirtation, then a seduction, then an illicit affair. With each clandestine encounter, Frances finds herself falling slowly and inexorably under the spell of her mysterious, complicated lover. But when Edgar's frail wife Virginia insists on befriending Frances as well, the relationship becomes as dark and twisted as one of Poe's tales.