Called in secretly to investigate an allegedly haunted house with royal connections, Merrily Watkins, Deliverance Consultant for the Diocese of Hereford, is exposed to a real and tangible evil. A hidden valley on the border of England and Wales preserves a long-time feud between two old border families and an ancient Templar church with a secret that may be linked to a famous ghost story by M R James. On her own and under pressure, with the nights drawing in, the hesitant Merrily has never been less sure of her ground. Meanwhile, her closest friend, songwriter Lol Robinson, is drawn into the history of his biggest musical influence, the tragic Nick Drake.