But Godfearing England in the late twelfth century retained a foot in the superstitious, pagan past. The Abbey is situated close to the ancient Wealden Forest which long ago covered much of the south east; the Forest - and its secretive, mysterious inhabitants - is very much a brooding presence for those who live in and around the Abbey.

Hawkenlye lies close to the route from London to the coast, one of the oldest roads in England, and the Abbey cannot remain aloof from the concerns and preoccupations of kings and queens. Indeed, King Richard's mother, the great Eleanor of Aquitaine, was involved in the foundation of the Abbey and retains an active interest in its affairs.

When a foul murder is committed at Hawkenlye on the eve of Richard's coronation, he suddenly finds himself in need of a trustworthy representative to investigate. And, as if by a divine helping hand, there before him is Josse d'Acquin, who is not only known to Richard but who also spent much of his youth quite close to the place where the murderer's victim was discovered. A knight's son and a knight himself, Josse has left his home in northern France in the capable hands of his younger brothers and their families while he pursues his vocation as a soldier and a king's man. He is only too pleased to obey Richard's order and head across the Channel to England and the Abbey.

There at Hawkenlye, he meets the Abbess, and so begins a strange but highly efficient detecting partnership between the nun and the knight: Abbess Helewise and Josse d'Acquin.