The last thing Joanna Lawrence wishes to do is spend her summer in the United States, even if it is California. Where the lights and glamour may tempt some, she and Professor Brendan Keane find themselves once more facing the side of society kept secure in the shadows. Danger surrounds them constantly, and Keane's old friend, James Harrison, seems to remain in the center of it all. The only question is, what does a high-strung theatre director have to hide? And why is his production of Pygmalion turning into a blood-chilling fight between life and death?

Professor Brendan Keane and Joanna "Jo" Lawrence have returned once more to Devon after several weeks abroad. Though yet another winter had pulled away from the English shores, mystery and suspense do not follow their retreat. As a young boy is found asleep in Keane's study, Lawrence is thrown headfirst into a maze of dangerous characters and desperate situations. She finds she must stagger forward alone, as her companion has abandoned her to her own devices. Keane's absence; however, is anything but intentional. After all, who would willingly be tried for treason?