The fourth chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew continues the adventures of the 14th century Cambridge physician when he is called to attend to two deaths from some poisoned wine. The opening of a new & very well-endowed college has created petty in-fighting amongst the academics as new appointments are made. The winter & spring have been appallingly wet there is a fever outbreak amongst the poorer townspeople & the country is not yet fully recovered from the aftermath of the plague. The increasing reputation & wealth of the Cambridge colleges are causing dangerous tensions between the town Church & University & then the poisoned wine kills the first victim
- a student. The second victim is Dittone the deputy master of the new college but there seems no connection between him & the student. Matthew must establish the facts before relations between town & gown spiral out of control.