by Charles Todd
First published 2004
Francesca Hatton loses her beloved grandfather in autumn 1916 while the Great War consumes Europe. She discovers an unsigned letter among his possessions that curses the Hatton family line. Richard Leighton arrives at her door, claiming her grandfather murdered his mother twenty-five years ago. The woman disappeared without a trace, leaving only a bloodstained shawl behind. More accusers appear at the funeral, charging Francis Hatton with cruel acts from his past. Yet one young woman speaks of his hidden kindness. Hatton's will demands that Francesca retrieve the Murder Stone from their garden and bury it in Scotland forever. This white stone sits in the place where she once played with her five cousins, all now dead in French trenches. Before she can complete this task, mysterious accidents begin plaguing her. Someone leaves a bleeding body on the Murder Stone itself. Francesca must learn whether her grandfather was the loving guardian she believed or a vengeful man who created deadly enemies. She pursues answers while someone stalks her, seeking overdue revenge.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, suspense, mystery, crime
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, family-secrets, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Europe, France, Scotland
Period: 1916
416 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Bantam
Content warnings: death, murder, violence