September 1143. Serjeant Catchpoll hopes a fire at a Worcester silversmith's is just an accident, but when a charred corpse is discovered following a second fire, he has no choice but to call in the undersheriff, Hugh Bradecote, to help find the culprit. Bradecote may be new to the job compared to his weather-beaten, wily and experienced colleague, but his analytical eye is soon hard at work. With further fires, a hooded figure stalking the streets, and a possible murder that has gone undiscovered for some months, the duo must avoid getting more than their fingers burnt as they piece together the arsonist's vengeful motive. The second instalment in the Bradecote and Catchpoll series.