A brutal murderer, a house of assassins, a devil incarnate ... It's the Spring of 1380 and the Regent John of Gaunt needs money and supplies for his war against the French. Unfortunately, the members of parliament at Westminster are proving especially stubborn - and the Regent's cause is not aided when some representatives from the shire of Shrewsbury are foully murdered. John of Gaunt orders Sir John Cranston, along with his trusty ally Brother Athelstan, to find the assassin before he loses every chance of obtaining the taxes he requires, before more innocent people are found dead.