Detailansicht

Ralph Delchard, a former soldier in the infamous Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, a gifted lawyer, continue to investigate discrepancies raised during the gathering of information for the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Travelling the length of the country the pair often find that where property is disputed, passions erupt, often with violent consequences.Delchard and Bret arrive in Archenfield for what should be a straightforward assignment. But they are shocked to discover that a principal witness has been murdered, burned alive in his own home. With an enigmatic symbol the only clue to the killer's identity, the pair must use all their wits to expose the person responsible.

Ralph Delchard, a soldier who fought at the Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, a talented lawyer, have been commissioned by William the Conqueror to look into irregularities brought to light during the compilation of the Domesday Book, the great survey of England. Their investigations take them throughout the kingdom, but the pair often find themselves embroiled in more sinister mysteries in the towns they visit. The King's work is a dangerous business.The frontier zone of Archenfield in Herefordshire is a no-man's-land, which acts as a bulwark between Norman-controlled English soil, and the Welsh border. Soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret arrive in Hereford for what looks like one of their more straightforward assignments from the crown, to settle conflicting claims to land in Archenfield. Ralph and Gervase are shocked to discover the murder of a principal witness, a wealthy landowner who was burned alive in his own home. No clues remain except an enigmatic red dragon cut into the turf in front of the house.