His wife Matilda, a usually surly and miserable woman is in good spirits, because she sees the party as an opportunity to raise her social standing something she is always striving to attain.

Sir John, much to her disgust is called away to examine the body of a canon who has been found hanged in his own privy. Is it suicide, or is there something more sinister afoot . . .

I always enjoy Bernard Knight's novels. There are many good writers about but very few have Prof. Knight's gift of storytelling and the obvious knowledge he has about the period in which he writes.