Summer of 1541. Concerned by an attempt at rebellion, England’s King Henry VIII plans to visit York in the north of the kingdom in order to prevent any possible repetition of the uprising. Matthew Shardlake, included in the royal retinue, is sent to York in advance on a secret mission: to deliver to London the organizer of a failed rebellion. With his assistant, Shardlake lodges in St. Mary’s Abbey, which is supposed to become the king’s temporary residence. And that’s where a chain of mysterious incidents begins. First, stained-glass master Aldroid is killed. During an inspection of the victim’s house, a hidden cache is discovered—an ornate box containing ancient documents. The next victim is Shardlake himself. A blow to the head renders him unconscious, and the papers found—capable of shedding light on the true initiators of the plot—disappear…