September 1143. Serjeant Catchpoll hopes a fire at a Worcester silversmith's is just an accident, but when a charred corpse is discovered following a second fire, he has no choice but to call in the undersheriff, Hugh Bradecote, to help find the culprit. Bradecote may be new to the job compared to his weather-beaten, wily and experienced colleague, but his analytical eye is soon hard at work.
With further fires, a hooded figure stalking the streets, and a possible murder that has gone undiscovered for some months, the duo must avoid getting more than their fingers burnt as they piece together the arsonist's vengeful motive.
