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.

John of Gaunt orders Sir John Cranston, along with his trusty ally Brother Athelstan, to find the assassin before he loses every chance of obtaining the taxes he requires, before more innocent people are found dead.

An absolutely scintillating historical mystery, perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory, C. J. Sansom and S. G. MacLean.

Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough in 1946. He was admitted to Liverpool University where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History and won a state scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford. While there he met his wife, Carla. Paul worked in Ascot, Newark and Crawley, before being appointed as Headmaster to Trinity Catholic High School, Essex, in 1981. The school has been described as one of the leading comprehensives in the U.K. and has been awarded “Outstanding” in four consecutive OFSTED inspections. All seven of Paul and Carla's children have been educated at Trinity. Paul has written over 100 books and has published a series of outstanding historical mysteries set in the Middle Ages, Classical Greece, Ancient Egypt and elsewhere. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages.