Prudence Barnard Gaunt thought she had left the investigation of reportedly haunted houses behind her when she married inquiry agent, Knighton Gaunt. Their idyllic trip through Europe goes awry, however, when they decide to join a group of travelers for an excursion to the fabulous triple falls near Terni, Italy before going on to Rome. Unfortunately, before they reach the triple cascade, their carriage breaks down on a remote road. Before the wheel can be repaired, a band of ruffians ambushes them.
Barely escaping the skirmish, the weary travelers discover that the only inn in the area is a ramshackle, old building reputed to be haunted. To make matters worse, due to the contessa taking an entire floor, there are insufficient rooms for their group.
Pru does her best to arrange matters for their party, and they retire, not realizing that one of them will not survive the night.
When dawn arrives, their coachman returns to the disabled coach only to find one of the travelers dead in a ravine. He runs back to the inn, terrified that the bandits from the previous evening returned and murdered the passenger. Pru and Knighton soon have nothing but questions. Why had their fellow traveler returned to such a dangerous spot in the middle of the night? Why was the victim wearing another traveler’s cloak?
Had the bandits returned and attempted to rob the traveler thinking they confronted one of the other, wealthier passengers?
As the mystery deepens, Knighton and Pru discover the other travelers were not all strangers to one another. Mistaken identity, revenge, envy, and frustrated love vie as possible motives, and Knighton is pushed to desperation when Pru disappears after seeing a ghost.
Knighton must use every ounce of logic and intelligence to find Pru—and identify the killer--before there is another death on the road to Rome.