It's April 1616, and William Shakespeare is mortally ill—felled, they say, by a fever. But when he calls his estranged friend Simon Saddler to his bedside, Will says he's been poisoned. Stratford Constable Saddler feels compelled to investigate his old friend's death in order to discover not only who murdered him, but also how a man once as close as a brother was moved to cuckold Simon and destroy their friendship. The trail may ultimately lead to the discovery of more murders—and a conspiracy at the very highest levels.