December, 1145. Hamelin Isenmongere, a trader in iron and charcoal, is considered by many to be the most popular man in Worcester. Why then is he found on the quayside near his warehouse with his head beaten in? As the winter bites, Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin are on the trail of a killer. However, matters are complicated when evidence leads them to Worcester Castle and the additional hunt for a spy in the midst of treacherous political crosscurrents. Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin must uncover whether the murder was an act of betrayal from close to home, or one that casts a shadow over the fight for England's crown.