Cambridge, 1924. Detective Inspector John Redfyre's dog discovers a corpse in the graveyard adjoining St. Jude's College. An army greatcoat and well-worn boots suggest the dead man may have been a former soldier, though the empty bottle of brandy and a card bearing the words "An Invitation to Dine" on the victim ring a discordant note. Even more unsettling is the autopsy, which reveals death by strangulation and unusual contents in the stomach from the man's last meal. Redfyre becomes caught in a dark tale of revenge, betrayal and injustice. With the unlikely assistance of his lead suspect, he gradually unearths the dead man's story and fights to right an ancient wrong.