Volume VII of the Domesday Books.
Leading a hunting party into the Forest of Delamere, the Earl of Chester is anxious to demonstrate the superiority of his fine hawk. But as the bird hovers over its prey it is pierced by an arrow and falls to the ground. Two poachers are discovered nearby and the enraged Earl orders their immediate execution. But who is the hooded figure who flees deep into the forest?
Meanwhile, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret, Domesday Commissioners for the King, have been called to Chester to settle a series of disputes and are to be guests of the Earl during their stay. Exploring their new surroundings, they discover a well-guarded prisoner in the castle dungeons. While the Prince of Gwynedd remains under lock and key the Earl can live free from the threat of a Welsh uprising. So why is Idwal, the over-zealous Welsh churchman, hiding the true reason for his visit to the city? And whose arrow is responsible for the second gruesome death in the Forest of Delamere?
Inspired by the genuine entries in the Domesday Book, this thrilling and richly evocative eleventh-century tale will appeal to crime and history lovers alike.
