TWO FAMILIES HAUNTED BY A SINISTER PAST When Esme Quentin is engaged to research the history of an ancient mill owned by her client, Anna Brannock, she stumbles upon a bitter family feud, tales of witchcraft and a century-old allegation of murder. As Esme digs deeper, the past begins to converge on the present, when Anna becomes the target of a disturbing campaign, echoing menacing events from many years before. Can a nineteenth century curse still wield its formidable power? What connects Anna with the twenty-four-year-old mystery concerning the whereabouts of the charismatic Ellen Tucker? Esme must uncover the truth to save Anna from becoming a twenty-first century victim, in a cruel repetition of her ancestor's merciless fate.