1897, New England. Agnes and Bertha are best friends. Clever, eccentric misfits at an elite college for young women, they study earnestly, write poems for each other and explore the woods around campus at night. One morning, Bertha vanishes.

Called down from Boston, renowned missing person expert Detective Higham arrives to find the tranquil college in chaos. A treasured pearl dagger has disappeared from a student's bedroom. The most popular debutante on campus is losing her mind. There are rumours of a ghostly woman at the train station.

As he questions the students and teachers, Higham unearths a strange story of doomed love, ambition and tragedy which could shatter the college's glittering reputation forever . . .

A gothic, turn-of-the-century campus thriller about female desire, rage and ambition, perfect for fans of TRIFLERS NEED NOT APPLY, THE BINDING and FINGERSMITH . . .