After the death of her husband, Rose Trevelyan lives peacefully in Cornwall, working as an artist and photographer. But when she hears terrified screams as she paints the rugged Cornish countryside, and a local woman is reported missing, Rose finds herself suddenly caught at the centre of a police investigation.With so many people who trust her, Rose is - reluctantly, at times - privy to the secrets of many. When the things she is told in confidence appear connected to the investigation, Rose must decide how far the bonds of friendship reach.

An isolated spot in the Cornish countryside is no safe haven when a determined foe is out for blood... Having worked for an international charity in her days before retiring to Cornwall, Eleanor Trewynn is asked by the Commonwealth Relations Office to assist in secret negotiations about to take place in a hotel just outside Tintagel. Meanwhile her niece DS Megan Pencarrow, as well as investigating the disappearance of Port Mabyn solicitor Alan Freeth, is sent to help provide security for the conference. So is her bete noire, DS Ken Faraday of the Yard. They have to escort to Tintagel two African students, refugees from Ian Smith's Southern Rhodesia. Everyone arrives at the hotel in a raging storm, as do two sinister Londoners who have followed Megan from Launceston. Who are they and why have they turned up in the depths of rural Cornwall? Are they spying for Smith? And what is their connection with the missing solicitor? The answers set the scene for murder, and take Eleanor and Megan on a chase across fog-bound Bodmin Moor in a desperate attempt to prevent further deaths. Praise for Carola Dunn: 'Adept at showing character through witty dialogue, Dunn paints an amusing picture of a small town that readers will want to visit again soon' Publishers Weekly 'Dunn has a knack for writing meatier-than-usual cosies with strong female characters, and she has another charming winner here' Booklist

The earliest known ancestor of the Whitney family in America was Henry Whitney (1620-1672) who was born in England and immigrated to America in about 1649. One of his children was John Whitney (1644?-1720) who married Elizabeth Smith and was the father of eleven children. Their many descendants live throughout the United States.