Thomas Clarady, son of a wealthy privateer, is a law student at Gray's Inn, seeking to climb the Elizabethan social ladder by any means necessary. When his tutor is murdered during the Queen's Day pageant, he hires the young Francis Bacon to replace him. Francis is requested by his uncle, the Lord Treasurer, to investigate the murder. Eager to curry favor with his powerful relation, he agrees, even though he rarely leaves his chambers and mislikes anything that takes time from reading philosophy. Far better to send Tom out to find clues and talk to witnesses.

At first, Francis...