"Wonderfully plotted . . . A marvelous mixture of witchcraft, sacred relics and ancient oaths. [Allingham was a] rare and precious talent." - The Washington Post

Estranged from his father, young Percival St. John Wykes Gyrth wanders the streets of London, penniless and homeless, until he's lured to the house of gentleman sleuth Albert Campion. An underground ring of the most powerful and wealthy art collectors in the world have turned their attention to the Gyrth Chalice, a state treasure guarded by the family for centuries.

To stop its theft, Campion and Val head back to the family seat in Suffolk, where folklore and ancient superstitions abound- and where, in its supposedly haunted woods, Val's aunt is found literally scared to death. With Val's coming-of-age ritual approaching--in which he is initiated into the secret of the Chalice--Campion must sort through new religion followers, landed gentry, suspicious villagers, and a cast of London's ne'er-do-wells for suspects, all while putting his own life on the line.