Nancy B

It begins at Nykoping Castle, Sweden, 1291. King Magnus is dead and his three young sons—Birger (11), Erik (9), and Valdemar (8)—await the arrival of the appointed Regent of Sweden, a powerful noble and celebrated warrior who will teach them the arts of governing, knighthood, and skills of war until the young king, Birger, comes of age. Under his tutelage, Erik, the middle child, will show himself to be the most intelligent and skillful of the three; Valdemar, the youngest, will look on in admiration while the fledgling king will bridle with jealousy.

For fifty years a group of friends have been meeting regularly for reunions on Holy Island, celebrating the school trip where they met, and the friend that they lost to the rising causeway tide five years later. Now, when one of them is found hanged, Vera is called in. Learning that the dead man had recently been fired after misconduct allegations, Vera knows she must discover what the friends are hiding, and whether the events of many years before could have led to murder then, and now . . .