In February 1355, two well-born killers return to Cambridge after receiving a royal pardon. Their lack of remorse enrages the town, especially those who helped secure their conviction, and their threats revive fears that wealth and influence can place criminals beyond justice.
When bodies are discovered at a local mill during an increasingly violent dispute between rival millers, Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael examine the pardoned men first. The obvious suspects, however, are only part of a wider conflict involving revenge, commercial power and the dangerous gap between legal authority and public anger.