It’s 14th century Cambridge, as evoked by Susanna Gregory, and there’s been a series of strange killings that the locals believe are down to the devil himself. Up on the roof of St Mary the Great, the chancellor of the university has been seen fighting with a shadowy figure cloaked in black. It must be Satan!

Brother Michael and Dr Matthew Batholomew are unconvinced. As the body count starts to grow, the pair suspect that the killings may be linked to the disappearance of materials from several tombs in the city and find themselves on the hunt for a human killer. Once again Susanna Gregory proves herself to be not only a fine mystery plotter, but a master of historical detail and this book is particularly fascinating as the enlightened academics face off against medieval superstition.