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Twelfth century Devon. Much of the county lies under the iron rule of the Royal Forest laws, with all hunting reserved to the King. The penalty for gathering firewood on the King's land is imprisonment. The penalty for killing a deer - mutilation or death. These harsh laws are rigorously upheld by the King's foresters, notorious for their greed and corruption.
June 1195. A tall brown mare gallops into the sleepy village of Sigford, dragging its rider by the stirrup, the broken shaft of an arrow protruding from his back. The embroidered badge sewn on the dead man's tunic identifies him as a senior officer of the Royal Forest.
With the victim's purse still full of money, the motive for the murder is a mystery. But when a second forest officer is violently attacked, the county coroner, Sir John de Wolfe, begins to uncover evidence of a sinister conspiracy. And why is his unscrupulous brother-in-law, Sir Richard de Revelle, taking a sudden interest?
With his wife Matilda turning to the Church and his mistress Nesta acting increasingly oddly, Crowner John has never felt so alone - or so vulnerable.
