When Tommy and Tuppence visited an elderly aunt in her gothic nursing home, they thought nothing of her mistrust of the doctors; after all, Ada was a very difficult old lady.
But when Mrs Lockett mentioned a poisoned mushroom stew and Mrs Lancaster talked about "something behind the fireplace", Tommy and Tuppence find themselves caught up in an unexpected adventure involving a strange inheritance, a mysterious house, black magic, a missing tombstone - and almost death for the redoubtable Tuppence . . .