Christmas, 1669. In the grip of the coldest winter for years, the River Thames is frozen from bank to bank and London celebrates with a traditional frost fair held on its broad back. Revellers come from far and wide to enjoy the spectacle.

Among the throng is ambitious young architect Christopher Redmayne. By chance he meets a good friend, Constable Jonathan Bale, attending with his family. As the adults talk, Bale’s sons skate around them. But their competitive nature spells trouble onto thin ice and is in danger of crashing into the freezing water below. Christopher and Jonathan save the boy but make a chilling discovery – the frozen corpse of a naked man embedded in the ice.

Bale vows to investigate but Christopher sees no reason to involve himself further until his own brother Henry is accused of the murder and thrown in jail. Now Henry faces execution if Christopher cannot prove his innocence. The architect must risk all he holds dear, both professionally and personally, to uncover the truth.

EDWARD MARSTON was born and brought up in South Wales. A full-time writer for over thirty years, he has worked in radio, film, television and the theatre. Prolific and highly successful, he is equally at home writing children’s books or literary criticism, plays or biographies and the settings for his crime novels range from the world of professional golf to the compilation of the Domesday Survey. He is also a former Chairman of the Crime Writers Association.

"Humor and suspense are cleverly interplayed but the novel’s best feature is the reality with which the people and period are brought to life." -- Booklist

"Serious tone, a sense of historical presence and well-sketched characters comprise a sterling performance." -- Library Journal

"Charming..Marston knows his period and his turf." -- Los Angeles Times

"Consummate story-telling, a love of period and astute characterization and plotting .. Who needs more?" - The Guardian

"Brilliant..one of the field's hidden treasures..A perfect whodunit." -- Crime Time

"Marston's most accomplished piece yet." - The Good Book Guide