Selina March has lived in a quiet village in the countryside for nearly 50 years, but her secluded life changes forever when she reluctantly takes in a paying guest. Crime writer Joanna Savile has come to interview the inmates at the nearby asylum for the criminally insane, in particular the former child murderer Mary Maskelyne. Joanna’s prying will yield unexpected results, for although they have never met, Selina March and Mary Maskelyne are connected by a shared family tragedy—an act of unspeakable cruelty that took place in India half a century ago. As Joanna continues to investigate, she finds that Selina has secrets from the more recent past as well, secrets that—when uncovered—could have horrifying consequences.