Summer 1541. King Henry VIII of England, concerned about the attempted rebellion, plans to visit York in the north of the kingdom to prevent a possible repeat of the rebellion. Matthew Shardlake, included in the royal retinue, is sent to York in advance on a secret mission to bring the organizer of the failed rebellion to London. With his assistant, Shardlake settles in St. Mary's Abbey, which is to become the king's temporary residence. This is where a series of mysterious incidents begin. First, stained glass master Oldroyd dies. When examining the house of the murdered man, a cache was discovered with a box containing ancient documents. Shardlake himself becomes the next victim. He loses consciousness from a blow to the head, and the papers found that could shed light on the true initiators of the conspiracy disappear...