Crispin Guest wakes after a drunken night beside a murdered woman and cannot remember enough to prove that he did not kill her. When other young women die in similar circumstances, the danger expands beyond his own possible guilt. A relic known as the Tears of the Virgin Mary, guarded by a secretive widow and coveted by a rival family, appears to connect the deaths. With Crispin imprisoned by sheriffs who would be content to see him condemned, Jack Tucker must take a larger role in the investigation and seek help from a young lawyer.
The novel uses Richard II’s London to examine how fragile reputation could be when legal procedure, social standing and circumstantial evidence turned against an accused person. Relics again sit at the centre of the plot, not simply as exotic objects but as property capable of carrying family prestige, devotional meaning and financial value. By placing Crispin himself in the position of suspect, Westerson reverses his usual role and gives Jack an opportunity to operate independently within the city’s legal and social networks.
