Mary Yellan has her life changed after her father is murdered by shipwreckers. When her mother dies of a broken heart not long afterwards Mary is forced to go and live with her Aunt Patience at her inn on Bodmin Moor. It's there that she discovers her slightly crazy Uncle Joss is the ringleader of the wreckers and that Jamaica Inn is their headquarters. Mary is determined to bring Joss and his gang to justice and calls upon Trevor Eve's Jem to help do so.