3rd book of the Shardlake series and a favorite. King Henry VIII and his 5th wife, Catherine Howard progress from London to York. Shardlake and Barak are transporting a conspirator from York to London and come across a secret concerning the monarchy. Someone is attempting to kill Shardlake to protect the secret. Hard to put down book with excellent plot, characters and intrigue. Highly recommended to those who love 16th century Tudor England.