When a body is discovered in a room adjacent to hers at the Grand Hotel in Dover, Lady Aurora, a widow still reeling from years of abuse, is caught in a series of events that derail her plans for independence. Her newfound freedom is further threatened by the presence of her childhood friend, Viscount Beaulieu, and a chance encounter with the Earl of Sommerset and his cousin, Pauline, who have hidden ties to her late husband.

Evidence linking Aurora to the murder and the disappearance of Pauline and Beaulieu forces her to reluctantly join forces with the mysterious earl as they chase after a cryptic notebook that holds the key to both her husband's death and the murder at the hotel, revealing a chilling connection. To clear her name and rescue her friend, Aurora must navigate societal norms, personal allegiances, and the complexities of her own heart.