Ebert is not a man to make enemies. He is a chieftain with a reputation for kindliness and generosity. Yet, one night, his household is aroused by a scream from his chamber. The servants burst in to find Moen, a young man to whom Eber had extended his protection, crouched over the bloody body of the chieftain. Moen's clothes are drenched in Eber's blood and he is clutching a bloodstained knife in his hand.

There seems no doubt of culpability, but why did Moen kill the gentle and courteous Eber? The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Moen himself cannot tell them - for he is deaf, dumb and blind...

Sister Fidelma, advocate of the ancient Irish law courts, is compelled to begin an investigation of the killing in order to present an argument on Moen's behalf before he is condemned. Assisted by Brother Eadulf, Fidelma finds that the path to truth twists and turns with the sinister forces of primitive passions and subtle ambitions - and leads inexorably to a final, stunning denouement.