1929. On receipt of an unexpected inheritance, small-time crook Horace Butterfield buys a large house in rural Essex. Buying an enormous antique chandelier in order to enhance his brand-new ballroom, he is intrigued by the dealer's story behind its provenance: a young woman who was forsaken by her lover is said to have hanged herself from it. But tragedy is set to strike. Horace's marriage collapses when he embarks on an ill-advised affair with a pretty young fortune-hunter. Over the next two decades, tragedy, violence and heartbreak befall all who move into Crossway Lodge. Is the house really cursed – and who is the mysterious, shadowy young woman seen lurking in the ballroom?