As heiress of Rosings Park, Anne de Bourgh's health is of utmost importance to her mother, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Thus, following a recent fire at Rosings Park, the young woman is spirited away to Brighton to take the cure. While there, Anne becomes acquainted with Mr. Owen Talbot, a charming man with whom Anne feels an immediate connection, notwithstanding their differing stations. However, despite their growing esteem for one another, Anne's mother has set her sights on a rich, well-connected man for her daughter. With their love in jeopardy, the couple soon faces an even graver problem. There has been a murder in Brighton, and Anne is innocently drawn into an amateur investigation that ultimately traces its roots to her own family. With a frightening foreshadowing regarding the de Bourghs, Anne begins to question whom she can really trust.--Adapted from publisher description.