Miss Cassidy is no ordinary governess. She can tutor the most wayward child, tell stories in several languages and fix any household crisis. But she also has the power to deal with problems of a far more dark and dangerous kind. Arriving in 1890s Singapore, this formidable Scotswoman soon finds herself (among other duties) ridding a house of a bloodthirsty demon and raising a spirit from the dead. When she is hired by the wealthy Chinese widower Mr Kay, whose family are suffering from a terrible curse, she must battle forces far more ancient and powerful than any she has encountered before - not to mention dealing with the unexpected yearnings of her heart...