England, 1189. As Richard I prepares for his coronation, a royal act of clemency releases prisoners across the realm. At Hawkenlye Abbey, however, the promise of a new reign is darkened when the novice Gunnora is found murdered, and Abbess Helewise must protect her community while seeking an explanation for a killing committed in a sacred place.
French knight Sir Josse d’Acquin joins Helewise in tracing Gunnora’s past through questions of inheritance, family loyalties and a valuable jewelled cross. Their investigation establishes the partnership at the heart of the Hawkenlye mysteries and places a private crime against the unsettled opening of Richard the Lionheart’s reign.
