When Quinn Matthews buys a Victorian house in the New Jersey suburbs from a relative, she finally owns the home of her dreams. She tries to ignore the peculiar chill she feels whenever she goes near the attic, where her late uncle suffered a fatal heart attack.

Quinn, who writes about décor for a living, plans to restore the place in true 19th-century style. Her efforts, though, are hampered by strange accidents. She also hears classical piano music and gunshots from no earthly source, and finds eerie messages on a wall, a notepad and even her computer. Even an unstable next-door neighbor accuses her of "stirring up trouble" with her renovations.

Finally, Quinn accepts that her dream house is haunted. But the ghosts don't want her gone—they want her to right a terrible wrong that took place in 1897.

A latent psychic gift makes Quinn identify strongly with their sufferings. Soon, she feels the strain on her relationships, her finances and even her sanity. To lay the ghosts to rest and keep the house she loves, she must re-investigate the murder of its first owner—a dashing classical pianist whose love life was far from Victorian...