1453. England is in a state of turmoil and the Wars of the Roses are about to begin. On the throne sits Henry VI, a weak and unstable king married to a dangerously vindictive woman. Surrounding the royal couple are unscrupulous men whose apparent loyalty disguises their ambition and hunger for power.

Far from the king's court, law and order is breaking down as advantages are sought and old scores are settled. In the North, the Percy brothers are conducting a private war against their Nevill cousins while in the South West, the Earl of Devon's son pursues his own deadly blood feud with the Bonville family.

Caught in this maelstrom is Kathryn Nevill, young daughter of the Earl and Countess of Salisbury. One day while riding home she comes face to face with a shocking act of violence. Terrified by the threats to herself and her family she sees a means of escape when her father finds her a husband. But she quickly discovers that her new life in the West Country is steeped in its own particular brand of murderous savagery.

The path to Kathryn's happiness is strewn with danger but with courage and determination she can fight her way through to achieve what she most desires - but the turning of Fortune's Wheel is never far away.