Declan Fitzgerald had always been the family maverick, but even he can't understand his impulse to buy a dilapidated mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans. All he knows is that ever since he saw Manet Hall, he's been enchanted - and obsessed - with it. So when the opportunity to buy the house comes up, Declan jumps at the chance. Determined to restore Manet Hall to its former splendour, Declan begins the daunting renovation room by room, relying on his own labour and skills. But spending his days in total isolation in the empty house is taking its toll. He's seeing visions of days from a century past, and experiencing sensations of terror and nearly unbearable grief - sensations not his own but those of a stranger. Local legend has it that the house is haunted, and with every passing day Declan's belief in the ghostly presence grows. Only the companionship of alluring Angelina Simone can distract him from the mysterious happenings in the house, but Angelina has her own surprising connection to Manet Hall - a connection that will help Declan uncover a secret that's been buried for a hundred years.