"Edmund Harkins has gone missing. Few would confess to liking the man, an abuser and distinctly unsavoury character. For many of the local villagers, the good tidings of his murder are made sweeter by the news that pigs have disinterred his corpse in a shallow grave. Sir Hugh de Singleton, bailiff at Bampton Castle, must tread carefully as he conducts his investigation into who has slain Edmund. Will he earn the enmity of villagers when the truth outs? Hugh must also contend with the new vicar, the nephew of the Bishop of Exeter. Rather than aiding Hugh, Father Harold Brantyngham contributes to the unhealthy atmosphere of suppression and suspicion that pervades the village. Hugh conducts his duty under intense scrutiny, and with few allies..." - Cover.