Spring, 1523. Henry VIII readies England for war with France. The King's
chief minister, Cardinal Wolsey, prepares to open Parliament at
Blackfriars. The eyes of the country turn towards London. But all is not
well in Wolsey's household. A visiting critic of the Cardinal is found
brutally slain whilst awaiting an audience at Richmond Palace. He will
not be the last to die.
Anthony Blanke, trumpeter and groom, is once again called upon to unmask
a murderer. Joining forces with Sir Thomas More, he is forced to
confront the unpopularity of his master's rule. As the bodies of the
Cardinal's enemies mount up around him, Anthony finds himself under
suspicion. Journeying through the opulence of More's home, the
magnificence of Wolsey's York Place, and the dank dungeons of London's
gaols, he must discover whether the murderer of the Cardinal's critics
is friend or foe.
With time running out before Parliament sits, Anthony must clear his
name and catch the killer before the King's justice falls blindly upon
him.