Jo Corbould's life is turned upside down when her long-term boyfriend Tim dumps her for a younger woman. She is devastated but feels she has a chance for a new life when she inherits an old cottage from her great-uncle. Rose Cottage seems ideal; it feels like home to Jo immediately. The view, overlooking Hope Valley, is spectacular and the cottage is cosy and charming. Why then does Jo's cat, Chelsea, refuse to settle in her new home? She appears terrified of the cottage and crouches by the front door, escaping whenever possible and running down to Hope Valley. And why is Jo spending her days furiously cleaning an already spotless cottage instead of starting the new business she had been so enthusiastic about? The diary Jo finds hidden in the stone wall tells the secrets her new home holds; secrets she will wish she had never known. Secrets that could drive her to the edge of madness and beyond.