How many mysteries can one death reveal? It is 1400, and in London there is a house, and, in that house, there is a master and his servants. One day, the master is found dead in his own study with no witnesses and possibly too many motives. With no real clues to go on other than a ripped piece of paper, a sheriff of the king is called in to discover the truth of the death. Along the way, the sheriff, Lord Silas Payton, will find himself faced with various new mysteries whilst trying to solve the first, as each testimony he is given seems swamped with secrets and inconsistencies. He will be forced to question the loyalty of his friends. He will discover family ties lost and found, reuniting secret relatives. He may even uncover a secret society plotting against the king himself! But will he find out what happened to Chaucer?