Recovering from the recent tragedy of his wife's death in a cliff fall, Tony Sheridan goes to stay with his sister-in-law, Lucy, and her husband, long-time friend Matt Prior, at their new home - Otherways - in Rutland. It is a strange, circular, moated house, the only surviving creation of the eccentric and reclusive Edwardian architect Emile Posnan.
Disturbed by memories of his wife and a growing attraction to Lucy, Sheridan is also troubled by weird and vivid dreams. He learns that a murder committed at Otherways in 1939 still has resonances for those living in the house and in the neighborhood, as does a later scandal surrounding the murderer's brother, a nuclear scientist who defected to the Soviet Union.
These and other mysteries forewarn Sheridan of disaster as he and Lucy embark on a secret and passionate affair. But that disaster, when it strikes, is far worse than a wrecked marriage or a friendship betrayed. In uncovering the truth about Otherways, Sheridan realizes too late that he is merely adding to the list of its victims - and that those closest to him may soon be among them.
