A widow seeking solace in a new home finds her life unraveling as a series of inexplicable and dangerous events begin to plague her household. Ginny, having moved into Mrs. Sendall's home with her young son Ben to escape the trauma of her husband's death, initially views the residence as a sanctuary. However, the atmosphere shifts as she encounters spectral occurrences in the garden and learns of a suspicious death at the local church. As two potential suitors, Robert Travis and James Aldous, enter her life, Ginny must navigate the growing threat of a killer hidden in plain sight. The narrative follows her perspective as she attempts to distinguish between genuine affection and lethal deception.

This novel functions as a classic example of mid-century suspense fiction, utilizing the isolation of a domestic setting to heighten the protagonist's anxiety. The narrative structure relies on the reader's ability to parse the intentions of the two male leads, creating a classic whodunit dynamic. The pacing is designed to mirror Ginny's growing unease, moving from a sense of security to a state of constant vigilance. The work reflects the conventions of the era's gothic-tinged mysteries, where the threat is often found within the domestic sphere.