A HAWK SOARS TO KILL... Thomas Finbow is sent to help with a tragic fire at one of his master's tenant farms but is soon embroiled in something far more sinister. The body of Simon Haylock is dragged from the blazing barn - and it appears he was dead before the fire even started... All is not well on the Berkshire Downs as a number of fearful murders are discovered baffling the authorities and striking fear into villagers' hearts. Suspicion falls on strangers in the area like the dour mapmaker Christopher Mead and the flamboyant travelling showman Paulo Schweiz. But Thomas sees what others cannot and with the help of Paulo's astonishing magic lantern show he starts to unravel the web of secrets and desire for revenge that have led to the murders - with astounding consequences.
