In 1777 the young John Eagle moves to Yorkshire from London to begin his
career as a junior attorney with senior partner, Abraham Balme, a
curmudgeonly man who lives only for money and his spiteful elderly
mother. John finds himself taking sides, not with Balme but with the
ill-treated managing clerk, Tom Gill, and the downtrodden maid, Sukey.
As he goes about his business, John proves an able attorney and is soon
handling several delicate and, it transpires, connected cases. There is
the death of his old friend, Richard Hudson, mysteriously found drowned
in the Aire. He soon suspects it was no accident and may be linked to a
renegade character, Long Larkin, who from his grim mansion on the moors
is engaged in illegal coining activities and terrorises the locality.
John forms a friendship with Sir Walter Spencer-Stanhope, a magistrate
and prominent landowner. As the main authority in these parts, Sir
Walter ought to be prosecuting Larkin without hesitation. But he argues
that the time is not right and that Larkin serves a purpose as the War
of American Independence is raging, with harmful economic effects. As
John struggles he wonders if he has bitten off more than he can chew.
