Our story begins with Tsar Peter III of Russia being overthrown by his own wife, the infamous Catherine the Great, only to be declared deceased soon after for vague medical reasons. Years later, Yemelyan Pugachev, a peasant who claimed to be the late Peter III, emerges. Pugachev's Rebellion, also known as the Cossack Rebellion, gained support from various social groups, including peasants and some nobles who opposed Catherine's rule. Their goal was to dethrone her and reinstate "Peter III," despite the fact that their "Peter" was just an imposter, probably with bad teeth. Whether his supporters didn’t care that he was a fraud or simply were oblivious to the truth, Pugachev managed to disrupt Russia with his attempts to seize the throne and champion the peasants and serfs who have suffered under Catherine's reign. However, evading arrest can only be accomplished so many times.

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Life in 1800’s Liverpool, England was rough. It was a port city with a high population of hard-working immigrants all trying to make ends meet. However, some were more desperate than others to ensure their living was made. Catherine and Margaret Flannagn, two Irish sisters who owned a boarding house, found themselves in the middle of a dark network of women who took advantage of insurance organizations after the death of a loved one. This network, which became known as the “Black Widows of Liverpool”, discovered the quickest way to a paycheck was with some arsenic and a compromised conscious. Unfortunately, the sisters tested their luck one two many times.

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The Tudor Dynasty was notorious for creating religious tension across England as they swayed between Protestantism and Catholicism, depending on who wore the crown. With Elizabeth I on the throne, Catholics were forced to practice their beliefs in hiding. Margaret Ward was empathetic towards the Catholic priests being imprisoned and went so far as to help one of them escape. Known as the 'Pearl of Tyburn', she paid the highest price for another man's freedom.

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