April, 1145. Thorgar the Ploughman is found by the bloodied body of Father Edmund, a village priest in Ripple, and is summarily hanged for being caught at the scene of the crime, despite his pleas of innocence. <p/>When his sister goes to Worcester to seek justice for Thorgar, the lord Sheriff sends Hugh Bradecote, with Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin, to discover the truth. <p/>They soon expose strong motives for placing the blame on the ploughman's shoulders, some unpleasant secrets festering among the villagers, and the whisper of a treasure long lost and now rediscovered. The noose casts a long shadow, but the Sheriff's men will need to plumb the darkness to uncover the true killer.
