After the death of her mother, Evelyn Crowley traveled with her father on his expeditions to the Near East seeking lost treasures and at a young age became a skilled translator of Arabic, Greek, and Ancient Sumerian. But a tragic accident - of which Evelyn was the sole survivor - ensured she was sent back to the safety of London and polite society.
Ten years later, while volunteering at the British Museum, a strange missive arrives, requesting Evelyn's assistance with translating an ancient book owned by the elderly Lord Craven. Evelyn's supervisor at the museum warns her not to take the job, but she can't refuse. She packs what she can and climbs into Lord Craven's carriage, bound for Carnarvon Castle.
Upon her arrival, however, she learns that it was not the elderly Lord Craven who requested her for the job, but his son, the handsome and dashing Alister Shaw. The elderly Lord Craven is dead, but Alister would like her to translate the book in his honor. Even though she knows she should refuse - for the sake of her reputation - she cannot resist the chance to finally earn respect for her translation skills. Even if the only character she can read in the book initially is a single word - Evil.
Will Evelyn decipher the book and learn its terrible secret before a past she longed to forget catches up with her? Or will she fall into disrepute when she can no longer resist her attraction to Alister Shaw?