Tavistock, 1319. The annual fair is interrupted by the discovery of a decapitated body whose missing head prevents immediate identification. The return of a long-exiled townsman creates another source of danger, because recognition could expose him to execution for his earlier crimes.
Simon and Baldwin work through traders, townspeople and old grievances while the fair continues around them. The investigation shows how a crowded market can hide movement and identity, but also how memories within a small community can make the past impossible to escape.
The fair temporarily fills Tavistock with traders and strangers, weakening the community’s usual ability to recognise who belongs. The unidentified corpse therefore threatens commerce as well as public order, while the exile’s return reopens resentments that many townspeople would rather leave buried. The mystery uses the medieval fair as both economic event and ideal cover for movement, disguise and revenge.
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