An anthropologist discovers a dark secret from the past when she's drawn into the contemporary investigation of a shocking double murder. Delve into this "irresistible" mystery within a mystery from bestselling author A. Dianne Reade.

Nebraska Territory, 1865. Young bride Trudy sets up house with her new husband and his children, only to discover that the man she married is not the man she thought he was. Caught in her husband's web of fear and control, time is running out for her to save herself and the children in her care.

Washington, DC, present day: Anthropologist Daisy Carruthers finds herself ensnared in the investigation of two murders when one of her best friends falls under suspicion.

When Trudy's diary comes into her possession under peculiar circumstances, she becomes obsessed with the young woman's story. Her efforts to learn more about Trudy lead her to the Library of Congress, where a special collection helps her to unearth the truth about what happened all those years ago and shed light on the diary's horrifying ramifications.