The Shadow in the Belfry follows Nathaniel Blake, a young scholar of the occult, who arrives in the remote village of Dunwich to investigate an abandoned, supposedly haunted church. Ignoring villagers' warnings, he ventures into the church and ascends the belfry, where he encounters a malevolent, shadowy entity. Despite his resolve and the light of his lantern, Nathaniel is overwhelmed by the entity's dark power and meets a horrifying end. His lifeless body is discovered the next day, his face frozen in terror, as the ancient church and its ominous belfry await the next unwary soul.