After a whirlwind romance on the island of Capri, Favel Farrington discovers that her new life at the ancestral Pendorric estate in Cornwall is shadowed by a lethal history. Favel must navigate the suffocating expectations of her husband's family while deciphering the cryptic behavior of her spouse, Roc Pendorric. As she uncovers the tragic fates of the women who preceded her, she realizes that her own life is in immediate peril. The narrative unfolds through a first-person perspective, heightening the sense of isolation and mounting dread as Favel attempts to distinguish between genuine affection and a calculated deception.

This work is widely regarded as a quintessential example of the mid-century Gothic romance genre, characterized by its focus on atmospheric dread and the classic 'damsel in peril' archetype. Readers often highlight the effective use of the Cornish landscape to mirror the protagonist's internal state of confusion and fear. The narrative structure relies heavily on the slow reveal of family secrets, which keeps the tension consistent throughout the text. It remains a staple for those interested in the evolution of romantic suspense and the specific stylistic conventions popularized by Victoria Holt.