In 1537, the Abbot Jervais Guillaume de Forrestier disappeared along with the treasures of an abbey. Over 300 years later, explorers at a neolithic site discovered the body of their expedition leader. He was found in a trench, bound to a chair. That's when Inspector MacDonald called on Sherlock Holmes. Arriving in the pleasant village of Little Stoke, Holmes learns there is more at stake than the murder of an aging academic. Two powerful families continue an age old dispute over the lands their ancestors once held. They each request that Holmes assist them in order to discover the whereabouts of the long-lost charters that granted their lands. Holmes soon finds himself surrounded by unique village personalities, strange nursery rhymes, mysterious ancient barrows, and the ruins of a mediaeval Abbey church. As he delves into the case with Watson by his side, he learns that the murder which drew him to Little Stoke was the final act in a play that has been running for over three centuries. Suppressed for over 50 years, now the story can be told—of murder, deception, the lust for power and unimagined fortune. It is the story of The Charters Affair Winner—1994 Eaton Literary Award—Book Category.