Peter Gannet is born on a wild, wintry Saturday in the midst of the noonday chimes, his brother, Paul minutes later The old ship's carpenter is full of dire prophecy at such ill-luck and says that the 'chime child' will 'see ghosts and have communications with the devil' And indeed he does when, at the age of 14, he is apprenticed to a locksmith in Cucumber Yard - a multi-layered ghost story that becomes an all too real murder