"A gripping and atmospheric debut that is at once a chilling gothic mystery and a love letter to Victorian fiction. It's 1852 and Margaret Lennox, a young widow, attempts to escape the shadows of her past by taking a position as governess to an only childat an isolated country house in West Country, England. Isolated from the village, Margaret soon starts to feel that something isn't quite right. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants and an abandoned east wing that sometimes has a light on. Even stranger are the repeated trips away on business by Mrs. Eversham, the child's mother. Lonely, and unsure who to trust, Margaret soon finds distraction in a forbidden relationship with the gardener, Paul. But as Margaret's history threatens to catch up with her, it isn't long before she learns the frightening truth behind the secrets of Hartwood Hall"-- Provided by publisher.