But this revelry soon cools, after Redmayne and his sober-sided associate, Constable Jonathan Bale, discover a corpse trapped in the glacial crust. 'In place of a river, we have the widest street in Europe,' exclaims architect Christopher Redmayne, as he observes the myriad merchants and entertainers who've mounted an eccentric celebration on the ice. Rather than exacerbating that winter's gloom, a sudden freezing-over of London's Thames River in 1669 becomes a cause of public delight in Edward Marston's The Frost Fair. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title. The architect must risk all he holds dear, both professionally and personally, to uncover the truth. Now Henry faces execution if Christopher cannot prove his innocence. Bale vows to investigate but Christopher sees no reason to involve himself further until his own brother Henry is accused of the murder and thrown in jail. Christopher and Jonathan save the boy but make a chilling discovery the frozen corpse of a naked man embedded in the ice. But their competitive nature spells trouble onto thin ice and is in danger of crashing into the freezing water below.

As the adults talk, Bale s sons skate around them. By chance he meets a good friend, Constable Jonathan Bale, attending with his family. Among the throng is ambitious young architect Christopher Redmayne. Revellers come from far and wide to enjoy the spectacle. In the grip of the coldest winter for years, the River Thames is frozen from bank to bank and London celebrates with a traditional frost fair held on its broad back.

The Frost Fair by Edward Marston