York, 1365. During the Corpus Christi celebrations, a man is murdered beside the Minster and his right hand is severed. Suspicion falls on a wool merchant who quarrelled with the victim and has since disappeared, but Owen Archer's only useful leads are a frightened boy and reports of a hooded woman, both of whom prove difficult to find.
Archbishop John Thoresby orders Owen to resolve the killing before fear and rumour damage the city. The investigation leads through merchant rivalries, private debts and the interests of men powerful enough to influence witnesses, forcing Owen to determine whether the missing suspect is a murderer, another victim or a convenient shield for a wider conspiracy.
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