When the daughter of a governor dies a grotesque death at a reputedly haunted cabin, eerie rumors are resurrected in the little town of Hartsville, North Carolina. Attorney Mary Crow becomes reluctantly involved in the turmoil, defending a friend wrongly accused of the murder. This widens the odd rift between her and her partner, Jonathan Walkingstick, and soon their future together is at risk. Mary suddenly finds herself fighting on two fronts--one to help Jonathan retain custody of his daughter Lily; the other to delve deep into a history that''s haunted, but still has the power to maim and murder.