Olivia St Claire has just buried her mother and must now concentrate on finding employment as a governess. Strange things begin to happen even before she's sent to Northumberland to look after a fourteen year old motherless girl. Who is the dark man who seems to be stalking Olivia?

An encounter with a group of gypsies, has Olivia second guessing her decision. The fortune teller's ominous words, "Don't trust anyone", have her wondering what she's getting herself into. Is her new employer, Sir Evan Thornton, not to be trusted? Or what about Dr. Phillip McAllister, who seems to appear every time something strange happens. What of her young charge, Vanessa? Is she really mad?

Anne Knoll's gothic romance wraps you up in a tale of distrust and second sight. Thornton Wood weaves suspicion around its inhabitants, while Olivia tries to solve the mystery of an adulterous affair. Who were the participants and what really happened to them? Each small scene is a clue, taking Olivia into the past, and gently leading the reader on to the solution. Secondary characters know more than they're telling and add to the suspense of the tale. Background descriptions set the ambiance for the heroine's reluctant search for the truth.

If you like gothic tales, an evening in The House in Thornton Wood is just what the doctor ordered.