As a child, Valentine saw her mother murder the wealthiest man in their Connecticut town and then hang at the gallows. Neglected by her father, she's learned to fend for herself, living in a crumbling estate that feels haunted by the past. Now a top student at Drake Academy, she's determined to prove herself and overcome her mother's crime. But like all small towns, Feavers Crossing has a stiflingly long memory, and when a new string of murders occurs, all signs point to the daughter of a killer as the most likely suspect. Outcast and isolated, Valentine finds an unlikely ally in Rowan Blackshaw, the son of the man her mother murdered all those years ago. Vowing to finally clear her family name, Valentine hunts for the real killer. Her search leads her to dangerously powerful families, the graveyard nestled behind her home, and even her own psyche - where must finally face the dark secrets hidden there.