An old lady gets ready for bed not knowing that a vicious young thug with robbery, rape and murder in mind, is fast approaching her home. In a state of sexual arousal he imagines the terror he is about to unleash, but then the ground beneath his feet gives way and he is caught in a monstrous trap: so begins a complex story of love and sacrifice, greed and deception, loyalty and betrayal that Detective Inspector Mark Hobson is required to unravel. His investigation leads him into the murky world of unlicensed gambling and brings him into conflict with a notorious criminal family, and into contact with a Polish veteran of World War II and his beautiful but vulnerable granddaughter. Add into the mix ancient custom and folklore and an old house that echoes with voices from the past, and all the ingredients are present to test Detective Inspector Hobson's deductive powers to the absolute limit.