Spring, 1543. London's streets are filled with preachers sermonising about the apocalypse. Radical religion has spilled over into dangerous fundamentalism as young men are maddened by differing interpretations of the Bible.

The family of one such man, Adam Kite, has sought the help of lawyer Matthew Shardlake; Adam is convinced God has forsaken him and spends his days and nights praying. He has been placed in the Bedlam for his own safety. But Shardlake is distracted from the case when a close friend of his, Roger Elliard, is found brutally murdered in Lincoln's Inn Yard. He has sworn an oath to Roger's widow that he will find the killer and bring them to justice.

CJ Sansom's Tudor crime novel stars Justin Salinger as detective Matthew Shardlake.

Shardlake ..... Justin Salinger
Barak ..... Bryan Dick
Guy ..... Vincent Ebrahim
Harsnet ..... Carl Prekopp
Cranmer ..... Sean Baker
Seymour ..... David Seddon
Ainsworth ..... Patrick Brennan

Other parts played by the cast.

Dramatised by Colin MacDonald.

Director: Kirsteen Cameron

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2017. Show less