In the turbulent year of 1586, a murder on the Berkshire Downs draws Thomas Finbow, falconer to the wealthy Sir Robert Vicary, away from the peaceful shire he loves. He finds himself on a trail of danger and intrigue, desperately trying to fathom the mystery surrounding his beloved mistress, Lady Margaret. His investigations lead him to the murky, seething underworld of Elizabethan London, where nothing is as it seems. Soon Thomas' own life is in jeopardy as he digs deeper, breaching the rigid barriers of class and risking everything he has. Finally he must pit himself against one of the most dangerous men in England. Death seems bound to result.