Edie Burchill's adventure begins when her mother receives a mysterious letter, lost for half a century, which she refuses to talk about. Edie learns this reverts back to when her mother was an evacuee as a child during World War II and rationed out to the 3 Blythe sisters at Milderhurst Castle for safety. Their father was the author of "The Mud Man", a famous story which Edie was raised on.

This discovery inevitably takes Edie back to Milderhurst Castle where she takes a tour to learn what she can of her mother's earlier mysterious years. Later Edie is commissioned to write an introduction to the "Mud Man." She revisits the Castle and slowly learns the secrets surrounding each sister. Percy is the strong twin, keeping the castle going while Saffy is the fanciful twin that precipitated the "Mud Man" from her horrendous nightmares. Juniper, the youngest sister they protect with their lives, loses spaces of time and memory. Nothing is what it seems with the 3 sisters which creates an intricate web of lies, suspense, and mystery surrounding the death of two young men.

This romantic thriller is filled with secrets and surprising conclusions. Each woman reveals her own secret and heartbreaking disappointment as Edie strives to unravel the mystery of the secrets hidden within the castle walls. The ending is sad and memorable as it reaches the enthralling conclusion to the mystery. Kate Morton is an exceptionally gifted writer to create the web of mystery and suspense that she portrays in this unforgettable story.