In a city seething with discontent, an ancient grudge is about to be settled.

December, 1377. As London prepares for Christmas, a great frost has the city in its icy grip; even the Thames is frozen from bank to bank.

The Constable of the Tower of London, Sir Ralph Whitton, is found murdered in a cold bleak chamber. The door is still locked from the inside and guarded by trusted retainers. So how did the assassin get in?

Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston are ordered to investigate. They soon discover that the murder is only the first in a series of macabre killings, which have their roots in a terrible act of betrayal...

A vivid, blood-curdling portrayal of medieval London, this is historical mystery writing at its best, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and S. J. Parris.

'A vivid, intricately crafted whodunnit' Publishers Weekly

'Paul Doherty has a lively sense of history' New Statesman