It's the Spring of 1380 and the Regent John of Gaunt needs money and supplies for his war against the French. Unfortunately, the members of parliament at Westminster are proving especially stubborn, and the Regent's cause is not aided when some representatives from the shire of Shrewsbury are foully murdered. In this sixth adventure (after By Murder's Bright Light), John of Gaunt orders Sir John Cranston and his trusty ally Brother Athelstan to find the assassin before England loses its advantage in the war, and before more innocent people are found dead.