Godwin, Earl of Wessex is, for once, satisfied. His family have succeeded in defeating the Norman threat to England and he is looking forward to a time of peace as he returns home in triumph. But things at the court of Edward the Confessor are never quiet for long, and as ever Godwin's family are in the thick of the trouble. Can Gyrth and Leofwine prevent the Godwin clan from being expelled from their home once and for all? And can Gyrth save his neck from the executioner's blade? The brothers find themselves investigating a theft that threatens to tear the realm apart and see the Queen herself under threat of death. This is a tale of betrayal and intrigue set in the final years of Anglo Saxon rule in England. The story gives an insight into the whole raft of Anglo Saxon society from King and Church to ceorl and serf, each rank playing their part in the function of the royal court. It was a time when lives were short, women had the right to determine their own futures and the sense of humour was at its most basic.