In the fall of 1792, the French Revolution has exchanged its slogans for blood. Marguerite Blakeney, married to an English nobleman, has left the Paris of terror for London’s social life. Here, everyone is talking about the Red Carnation, a masked and quick-witted hero who time and again, together with a loyal band of followers, rescues French aristocrats from Madame Guillotine and then smuggles them to freedom in England. The French regime sends Citizen Chauvelin, who does everything in his power to stop the Red Carnation’s advance. The tracks lead towards London society and soon Lady Blakeney is faced with a fateful choice.

The Red Carnation takes place during the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. The main character is a wealthy Englishman, Sir Percival Blakeney, who, under the pseudonym Red Carnation, devotes himself to secretly rescuing French noblemen from beheading by guillotine. He is a master of disguise, an imaginative planner, a formidable swordsman and a quick-witted escape artist. Every time he saves someone from execution, he taunts his enemies by leaving behind a card with a picture of a small flower: a red carnation. The identity of the red carnation becomes a widespread topic of conversation and the hero himself becomes the focus of an international criminal hunt by the French authorities. To hide his true identity, Percy Blakeney presents himself in everyday life as a foolish, snobbish luxury player. His true identity is kept secret by a group of friends who call themselves the Red Carnation League. The association helps carry out Sir Percy’s plans.
Percival Blakeney is the progenitor of the “hero with a secret identity” archetype and has inspired heroes such as Zorro and Batman.