A further well-crafted slice of medieval sleuthing from the bailiff and surgeon of Bampton, near Oxford. "Fans of medieval mysteries will revel in Starr's lively blending of intriguing suspense and telling historical detail." – Library Journal It is the autumn of 1367. Master Hugh is enjoying the peaceful life of Bampton, when a badly beaten man is found under the porch of St. Andrew's Chapel. The dying man is a chapman – a traveling merchant. Before he is buried in the chapel grounds, an ancient, corroded coin is found in the man's mouth.

Master Hugh's quest for the chapman's assailants, and his search for the origin of the coin, makes steady progress – but there are men of wealth and power who wish to halt his search, and an old nemesis, Sir Simon Trillowe, is in league with them.