York, winter 1372. A river pilot is pulled from the Ouse, and evidence soon shows that his drowning was murder. Owen Archer is brought to the scene by his adopted son Jasper and discovers that the victim's apparently modest life offers no simple explanation for why someone wanted him dead.
The disappearance of a valuable cross, the mysterious burning of a woman and a second body in the river widen the investigation. As Owen and Jasper trace the objects and lies connecting the victims, the killer recognises how close they are to the truth and turns the danger towards Owen's own household.