A Pale Horse

In the shadow of Fountains Abbey, a chilling discovery awaits: a body cloaked and masked, an alchemical text at its side, linking it to a conscientious objector. Inspector Ian Rutledge, still haunted by the Great War, is tasked with unraveling this intricate murder, suspecting that revenge might be manipulating the investigation. Concurrently, the British War Office enlists his aid in locating a mysteriously vanished man whose wartime contributions were so clandestine even Rutledge is denied his true identity. This parallel quest leads Rutledge to Berkshire, to cottages nestled beneath an ancient chalk-cut horse, inhabited by outcasts seeking refuge from their pasts. As Rutledge delves deeper into a web of deceit and hidden motives, he must discern truth from fabrication among these wary residents. The looming 'pale horse' serves as a stark reminder of death's enduring grip, especially on those scarred by the trenches, demanding all of Rutledge's cunning to expose a ruthless killer determined to escape justice.