A strange man is entering people's houses at night, causing panic amongst householders, because this is a man who likes children. And although many had thought him harmless, now he seems to have committed murder. A man lies dead in his own house, slaughtered merely for trying to protect his children and the folk of Exeter want this menace caught and hanged.

For Sir Baldwin de Fornsthill the death is suspicious.The dead man was an enthusiastic seeker of felons, a king's officer in the city of Exeter and he had many enemies especially among the criminals who infest the filthy suburbs where the brothals lie.

But the whole city is on edge.The friars are preaching against the cathedral chapter, and there are allegations of theft from guests in the Dean's house all at the time when the King's friends are setting knight against knight and lord against lord. As the country prepares for yet another civil war, and the city's new Coroner appears to want to set himself against the King's allies, Baldwin knows that finding this murderer is going to be very difficult indeed.

And when two more people are found dead, the city of Exeter shudder at the thought that there could be a killer out there who is determined enough to strike again and again.