Audrey Peterson Knihy

House-sitting for her ex-mother-in-law seems like a pleasant way for Claire Camden to spend the winter while on sabbatical from her California university. Working on a book about Victorian novelist M. L. Talbot, Claire looks forward to the peaceful countryside and spending time with her daughter, Sally, a student at Exeter, and handsome Detective Superintendent Neil Padgett. However, tranquility is shattered when Cheryl Bailey, one of Sally's housemates, is found brutally strangled on the moor, with a disturbing "signature" mark carved into her flesh. The local police, unable to find a motive, fear a serial killer is on the loose, casting a shadow over the quiet village. While Neil investigates, Claire delves into her literary research and uncovers a strange tale of an unsolved murder and a missing painting, suggesting that the past might hold clues to the current horror. As time runs out and the stalker threatens to claim another victim, Claire must piece together the puzzle quickly to prevent a tragedy that could hit too close to home, risking her own daughter's life in the process.