In a silent valley in southern France stands an isolated stone farmhouse. Aramon, the owner, is so haunted by his violent past that he drowns himself in drink. Meanwhile, his sister Audrun dreams of exacting retribution for a lifetime of betrayals. Into this world comes Anthony Verey, a disillusioned antiques dealer from London. When he sets his sights on the house, a frightening series of consequences is set in motion.

"Rose Tremain's writing is so good, she makes us hear English anew," writes the San Francisco Chronicle. This powerful and unsettling work, longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, reveals yet another dimension to Tremain's extraordinary imagination.