In the summer of 1358 the physician Matthew Bartholomew returns to Cambridge to
learn that his beloved sister is in mourning after the unexpected death of her h
usband, Oswald Stanmore. Aware that his son has no interest in the cloth trade t
hat made his fortune and reputation, Oswald has left the business to his widow,
but a spate of burglaries in the town distracts Matthew from supporting Edith in
her grief and attempting to keep the peace between her and her wayward son. As
well as the theft of irreplaceable items from Michaelhouse, which threatens its
very survival, a new foundation, Winwick Hall, is causing consternation amongst
Matthew's colleagues.
