The setting is at the beginning of Richard the Lionheart's reign, when Richard is seeking to endear himself to his rather reluctant subjects. As an act of clemency, he releases prisoners from jail. But it seems to be backfiring on Richard - a series of murders starts near the the abbey of Hawkenlye, which is ruled by Abbess Helewise, a confidant of his mother, the redoubtable Queen Eleanor. Local opinion is that the murders were committed by released prisoners. But is it so? Richard sends Josse d'Aquin, a knight from his lands in France, to resolve the murders and restore hid good name. Helewise and Josse make an intriguing pair, with complementary characters, and the investigation proceeds to its rather unexpected conclusion.
