Lady Emily and her husband, Colin, are spending time in Normandy with his mother after their honeymoon was interrupted by a murder. Emily is mourning the loss of their child and, perhaps, the loss of her ability to have children. Emily is sunk in melancholy and living with a disapproving mother-in-law isn't helping the situation. Colin tries to be sympathetic but doesn't understand her refusal to move on.

When Emily discovers the tortured body of a young woman in the forest, she will be drawn into an investigation which will lead her into more danger. Even though she promises Colin that she will be cautious, events spiral out of control. At first, it appears that Jack the Ripper has crossed the English channel. As the investigation progresses, it becomes obvious that the killer is local.

Emily involves her good friend, Cecile, in identifying the young woman. Cecile takes her to Rouen to meet the family of the dead girl. There they find a family in turmoil. The Prier family has put their eldest daughter, Edith, in an asylum and hidden the fact. Their son, Laurent, resents his parents easy dismissal of Edith from the their lives. Their second daughter, Toinette, seeks attention by causing strife in the family.

When Sebastian Capet reappears in their lives, Emily is forced to take more of an interest in the investigation. He leaves her tender notes and comforts her in her grief. Sebastian also creates havoc in the neighborhood by stealing a painting from Monet, depositing it with the Markham's, and then stealing it back again. The Markham's are neighbors of Mrs. Hargreaves who welcome Emily and Cecile into their home.

The story is told from Emily's perspective with excerpts of Mrs. Hargreaves diary. Emily is so sunk in misery at times that it seems she won't recover from the loss of her child. Her involvement in the investigation in Constantinople was the cause of this loss, and she is reluctant to involve herself in this latest investigation. The investigation takes on a macabre twist as they discover more bodies. Colin threatens to send Emily back to London as he sees the toll the events are taking on her. Her resentment leads her deeper into the investigation and affects the atmosphere between the two. Only as Emily confronts her fears and her mother-in-law's disapproval, will her emotions start to lift and allow her to think events through.

With a complex plot and multiple characters using more than one name, it was a little hard to follow the storyline. Overall, I was a little disappointed in the book, possibly due to the fact that my expectations were too high.