As children, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But in their thirties, their bond has been weakened by the demands of their respective adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls' trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend. Villa Aestas, in Orvieto, is today a luxury holiday home, but in 1974 it was known as Villa Rosato and, in the summer, it was rented by Noel Gordon, a well-known rock star. In an attempt to recapture his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician Pierce Sheldon to join him; also his girlfriend, Mari, and his stepsister, Lara. But it also sets in motion a series of events that lead Mari to write one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara to compose a platinum-selling album... and culminate in the brutal murder of Pierce. As Emily digs into the intricate history of the house, she begins to think that there might be more to the story of that fateful summer of 1974; that perhaps the Pierce murder was not just a story of sex, drugs, and rock and roll that got out of hand, but something far more sinister; and that there may be evidence hidden in the jobs that Mari and Lara left behind.