In 1536, hunchback lawyer Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes) is tasked by Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean) to investigate a commissioner's murder at a remote monastery to justify closing it during the dissolution of the monasteries, encountering murder, suspicion, and high-stakes political corruption.

Setting:
England, 1536, during the turbulent dissolution of the monasteries.

Plot:
 Shardlake is forced to investigate a brutal murder at Scarnsea monastery. If he fails, his life is at risk; if he succeeds, he aids in dismantling the monastery.