In the wake of a young nun's death in 1157 rural Kent, soldier-of-fortune Josse d'Acquin sets out to protect the reputation of the king, who had released the prime suspect, and is aided by the Abbess of Hawkenlye in uncovering secrets surrounding the convent.

A Hawkenlye medieval mystery - May 1199. Abbess Helewise has been summoned by Queen Eleanor to discuss the building of a chapel at Hawkenlye Abbey. Meanwhile, Sir Josse d'Acquin is on the trail of a group of mysterious knights rumoured to be devil worshippers. As Helewise heads for home, Josse follows his quarry to Chartres, where he meets the last person he expects: Joanna. And she has grave problems of her own . . .

In the autumn of 1210, Abbess Caliste is concerned about the welfare of her nuns at Hawkenlye Abbey after King John's men have taken it over, Helewise has moved into Hawkenlye Mannor with Josse, and Helewise's eleven-year-old granddaughter, Rosamund, goes missing.

All Saint's Eve, 1211. An overweight but wealthy nobleman, desperate for an heir, dies at the celebration feast he's thrown in his own hall. A natural death . . . or at the hands of his reluctant new wife? Sabin de Gifford, an apothecary and healer of note, is called to examine the body, and concludes that he died of a spasm to the heart. But she is troubled, all the same, and beset by suspicions. Did the man really die of a heart attack? Or was something...

Sir Josse d'Aquin is summoned to assist the beleaguered King John in the 17th – and final – Hawkenlye mystery. September, 1216. A foreign army has invaded England. The country is divided. Some support the rebel barons and Prince Louis of France; others remain loyal to the king. His rule under threat, King John summons Sir Josse d'Acquin to support him. But can Sir Josse save the king from himself? Meanwhile, Josse's daughter Meggie is summoned...