When Abbott Radulfus changes allegiance to the pretender, King Stephen, during the midst of civil war, he consents to the appointment of Father Ailnoth as the new parish priest for Shrewsbury. Ailnoth is materialistic, implacable, and overly puritanical and soon alienates everyone in the shire. When Cadfael refers a pregnant young girl to the new priest for absolution, the unforgiving confessor dismisses her as a whore and orders her out of the church. When the distraught girl is found drowned in the mill pond, an apparent suicide, the peasants rise up against Ailnoth, who is rescued by the Abbey's monks. Cadfael finds what he thinks may be signs of violence on her body and suspects foul play. When Ailnoth's lifeless body is found entangled in the mill wheel, he knows that there is a murderer in Shrewsbury.
—Gabe Taverney (duke1029@aol.com)