Flood waters make it necessary to disinter the cherished bones of Saint Winifred leaving Brother Cadfael to solve the mystery of their theft and a murder at the Abbey in Shrewsbury in 1144.

After refusing to baptize the illegitimate baby of a local prostitute, the new parish priest in Shrewsbury, England is found dead. With very few clues, Brother Cadfael manages to find the killer after finding the priest's skull cap under a bridge.