The scent of an old rose, lingering after the flowers have gone-is this a last trace of the long-dead occupants of Holywell, new home for Juliet and Leo Marston?

Devastated by the death of their only son, Juliet and Leo have left behind their London home with its painful memories and moved north to mediaeval Holywell. At first it seems that in restoring the old house they can mend the growing rift in their marriage and build some kind of new life together. Juliet even rediscovers an old friend in Rosalind Maclaren, rector of nearby Meadhope. And there is the scent of roses in the overgrown garden, where Juliet finds unexpected solace.

But in uncovering the past glories of the house it seems that they are opening the door on an ancient tragedy, with increasingly terrifying consequences. Overwhelmed by her own grief and the growing terrors from the past, Juliet turns to Rosalind for help. Can the resources of the Church bring healing and hope for the future or will the dark forces unleashed at Holywell bring her to catastrophe?