The Providence Rider is the fourth installment in the series of historical thrillers featuring Matthew Corbett, professional problem solver. The narrative begins in the winter of 1703, with Matthew still haunted by his lethal encounter with notorious mass murderer Tyranthus Slaughter. When an unexplained series of explosions rocks his Manhattan neighborhood, Matthew finds himself forced to confront a new and unexpected problem. Someone is trying to get his attention. That someone is a shadowy figure from out of Matthew’s past: the elusive Professor Fell. The professor has a problem of his own, one that requires the exclusive services of Matthew Corbett.

The narrative moves from the emerging metropolis of New York City to Pendulum Island in the remote Bermudas. In the course of his journey, Matthew encounters an assortment of antagonists. These include Sirki, the giant, deceptively soft-spoken East Indian killer, Dr. Jonathan Gentry, an expert in exotic potions with a substance abuse problem of his own, the beautiful but murderous Aria Chillany, and the master manipulator and “Emperor of Crime” on two continents, Professor Fell himself.