London, 1543. A serial killer is prowling the city, one who treats murder as a holy mission: preying upon radicals and creating gory tableaux inspired by a prophecy from the Book of Revelation. Archbishop Cranmer has asked Shardlake to conduct a secret investigation to catch the killer before word of the bloodshed reaches the King.

But Shardlake and his trusty side-kick Barak are constantly wrong-footed - the killer seems to know exactly what they plan to do next. Could there be an informer within Cranmer's camp?

With the killer's knowledge of medicinal potions, Shardlake is convinced that the killer must have a connection to the infirmary of the former Benedictine monastery at Westminster.

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

Shardlake ….. Justin Salinger
Barak ….. Bryan Dick
Harsnet ….. Carl Prekopp
Benson ….. Patrick Brennan
Guy ….. Vincent Ebrahim
Dorothy ….. Emily Bruni
Cantrell ….. David Seddon
Adam ….. Luke MacGregor

Other parts played by the cast.

Dramatised by Colin MacDonald.

Director: Kirsteen Cameron

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