A gruesome, ritualistic murder in Northumbria forces a quiet planning officer to confront the violent echoes of Viking history. When a body is discovered staged in the manner of a legendary blood eagle execution, the local police find themselves out of their depth. Arnold Landon, a planning officer currently assisting with an archaeological excavation, becomes the unlikely bridge between modern forensic investigation and the brutal customs of the past. As the investigation deepens, Landon must determine if he is tracking a modern criminal obsessed with ancient lore or something far more inexplicable.

This novel is characterized by its meticulous blend of archaeological detail and traditional British crime fiction tropes. The narrative relies on the contrast between the mundane life of a planning officer and the visceral, historical nature of the crime. Readers often note the author's ability to ground the more sensational elements of the Viking premise in realistic, procedural investigation. The work functions as a study of how the past remains present in the landscape, creating a sense of unease that persists throughout the investigation. The pacing is deliberate, favoring intellectual deduction over high-octane action sequences.