Siân, troubled by dark dreams and seeking distraction, joins an archaeological dig in Whitby. The abbey's onehundred and ninety-nine steps link the twenty-first century with the ruins of the past and Siân is swept into a mystery involving a long-hidden murder, a fragile manuscript in a bottle and a cast of most peculiar characters.

Equal parts historical thriller, romance and ghost story, this is an ingenious literary page-turner and completely unforgettable

Whitby is one of my favourite places to visit in Yorkshire and I could see and feel the characters wandering around Whitby on every page. The story in itself is not one of the best I have read, in fact this edition also contains the novella '' The Courage Consort'' which was perhaps a better story.