Tim Harding travels to an important place in his past in an effort to help out a friend, knowing he'll have to face memories of the loss of his wife. But it's time to do that and when Barney Tozer asks Tim to visit Cornwall and represent him at an auction, it seems like the thing to do.

But the task -- to help Barney's brother purchase an antique ring purported to have been in their family -- turns out to have many devious twists and underlying mysteries. The ring is stolen before the auction can begin, and as Tim tries to determine what happened to it, old stories emerge. The one theme that runs through those stories is of a young woman who died in a diving accident -- and many thought Barney was to blame for her death.

Tim is compelled to find the answers, dragging himself through historical tales and more recent dramas. In his search, he meets a woman who helps him rediscover feelings he thought died with his wife.

Reading Mr. Goddard is like the first taste of a sinful dessert. A first bite that was going to be just two or three with an eye toward a trim waist suddenly becomes a wholehearted plunge into decadence. You slide into Goddard's books easily, and before you know it, you're compelled to turn pages because you can only guess what he'll do next. Prepare for twists and turns and hidden agendas -- and an excellent read.