During renovation work on a hunting lodge in 1996, a carpenter uncovered a plank of wood revealing a chilling penciled message: "A fearful murder was committed the first day of this month (October 1887) at Cretingham. A curate cut the vicar's throat at 12 o'clock at night." The discovery brought to light a long lost piece of Suffolk history and with it an intriguing murder mystery. Using contemporary newspaper reports and court documents, Sheila Hardy uncovers the events that led up to the fateful night of October 1, 1887 and the subsequent trial. It is a tale of religion and influence, politics and social power, mystery and intrigue, and is a captivating look into the shady side of Suffolk's history.