The death of a runaway could spark a revolt.

Devon, 1318. Peter Bruther, who works the land for his lord, Sir William Beauscyr, is fed up with his life of near-slavery, and has run away. Brutal punishments usually fall on the heads of runaways, but Bruther uses a legal loophole: on Dartmoor, tin miners enjoy special protection from prosecution. They are accountable only to the king. Bruther swiftly sets himself up as a miner on the moors: safe or so he thinks.

Beauscyr and his two feuding sons are furious to learn they have no legal claim on their wayward man, and demand justice from Bailiff Simon Puttock. They fear more runaways. But other miners resent Bruther's appearance, too, and they do not want their profitable extortion and protection racket destabilised.

Before dissent can spread to other serfs working for Beauscyr, Bruther is found hanging from a tree. Simon, assisted by former Knight Templar Sir Baldwin Furnshill, finds himself investigating cold-blooded murder, and there is no shortage of suspects...

An action-packed historical mystery from bestselling author Michael Jecks. Perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory and C. J. Sansom.

Praise for Michael Jecks:

'Grim realism, stark brutality and flawed characters. Right up my street!' Anthony Riches

'Marvellously portrayed' C. J. Sansom

'Michael Jecks is the master of the medieval whodunnit' Robert Low

'The most wickedly plotted medieval mystery novels' The Times

'Classic Jecks – and that's as good as it gets' Susanna Gregory

'Another fantastic series from Michael Jecks' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

'All I can say is roll on the next one. I could not put this book down!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

'A brilliant read whatever your normal genre.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

'Another masterpiece by Michael Jecks. Whatever you do, do not miss reading this novel it is amazing!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

'All action!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review

'Outstanding! A terriific read.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reader review