Ursula Stannard faces the ultimate test in this gripping Tudor mystery. How far is she prepared to go to protect those dearest to her and save her own life?April, 1590. Ursula Stannard, the queen''s half-sister and occasional secret agent, has just left Sir Francis Walsingham''s funeral when she is summoned back to her childhood home, Faldene House, by her aunt. Uncle Herbert has died suddenly from natural causes, but Ursula''s arrival in the Sussex Downs triggers a shocking sequence of death and devastation. Through her service to the queen, Ursula has made dangerous enemies. The formidable Mercer brothers are set on revenge, and their cruelty knows no limits. As a deadly net closes around Ursula and her loved ones, can she keep those closest to her safe and stop the Mercers before they strike again?