In the sixth of Anne Perry's Christmas novellas, a community learns to come to terms with a terrible event from its past. Emily Radley's Christmas plans are shattered when she learns that her aunt, Susannah, is dying. Although estranged from her, Emily decides that she must journey to Susannah's home in West Ireland to assist her in her final days. When she reaches Connemara, it is evident that Susannah has more on her mind than her health. There is a strange sense of disquiet in the village which is only amplified when Daniel, the lone survivor of a ship wrecked in a violent storm, seeks refuge in Susannah's house. Determined to understand why the village is so unwelcoming to its new arrival, Emily discovers strange parallels with the unsolved death of another young man, Connor, many years before. Susannah urges Emily to investigate further. And as she does, Emily learns that some people will do anything to keep their secrets safe.