Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret travel to Oxford to settle a land dispute. But when they arrive in town, the death of one of the villagers eclipses their original assignment. In the middle of a high-stakes horse race, a rider is stabbed in the back and thrown from his mount. Several people stand to gain from the rider's death, and Ralph and Gervase must find the truth in a town determined to hide its secrets.