The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn led a quiet life as a country vicar until his wife Imogen was seduced by and eloped with Nicholas Tappitt, a man Syn considered a close friend. After pursuing the eloped couple on a quest for vengeance, Syn is forced into piracy under the alias of "Captain Clegg."
Eventually, Dr. syn abandons his quest, and his manufactured Clegg identity to settle in Dymchurch, accompanied by his former ship's carpenter Mipps.
When he discovers that many of his parishioners are involved in the smuggling of goods from France to avoid the excessive customs duties, and are in sore need of experienced leadership, Syn adopts the identity of The Scarecrow, a costumed vigilante who organizes the townsfolk into the "Night Riders", and well-trained team with their own macabre costumes and code-names.
The operation is a success, but it soon gains the attention of the Royal Navy, who are resolved to crush the smuggling ring, while ghosts from Syn's past soon complicate matters further.
