British-born James Monmouth grew up in Africa, with few memories of his early life and no knowledge of his family. He traveled the world as a young man, following in the footsteps of his hero, the great explorer Conrad Vane. But when Monmouth finally returns to England to pen a book about Vane, he finds himself on a journey more mysterious - and more unsettling - than any he ever encountered abroad. His inquiries into Vane's life are meet with fearful resistance, and Monmouth can't shake the feeling of unseen eyes watching his every move. As his quest draws him away from the bustle of turn-of-the-century London and toward his ancestral home in an isolated village, Monmouth is plagued by the specter of a young boy and the ghostly sounds of a crying child...even as the reader is haunted by an ever-increasing dread of what secrets Monmouth will unearth. Fans of old-fashioned ghost stories will thrill to read this deliciously spooky and atmospheric novel, which will keep you guessing until the last possible minute...and preoccupied for days afterward!