Richard Strachan

The gloomy fortress of Gallondean lies on the Scottish coast. Local legend has it that if the heirs to the house hear the howling of a spectral hound nearby, their death will quickly follow.

The current owner of the house is Jacob Beresford. Jacob, already haunted by his own demons, has no need of more ghosts, but as the First World War staggers through its last terrible months he uncovers unsettling details of his new home’s past.

Then he meets young volunteer nurse Esther. Widowed in the early months of the war, she dreams of being a poet as she assists the men around her, some of whom are struggling to come to terms with life-changing injuries. But it is one of the soldiers who appears to have only a minor injury, whose life comes to intersect with both Esther and Jacob in horrifying and unexpected ways.