Oxford, 1582. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, religious tensions between Protestants and Catholics divide the nation. In Oxford, the city of scholars, dark forces conspire to destroy the brilliant young philosopher, John de Courcy. Now he has only one hope : somewhere in the fetid alleys of the medieval city, there is a prostitute who may be able to save him from ruin...A fast-moving adventure that brings Renaissance England brillantly to life.