Those who have experienced Nina Kiriki Hoffman's writing already know the lyrical power of her unparalleled imagination. In this, her second full-length novel, she creates a world of magic and sinister wonder in a summer lakeside community. An inquisitive young man named Nick -- a teenager with an uncanny gift for uncovering secrets -- has taken to spying on a group of enigmatic strangers, which includes a beautiful and mysterious young girl and her oddly intelligent dog/wolf. But the closer he gets to the girl and her weird, reclusive family, the deeper he sinks into a lethal mire of magic and destiny. For these people who live in a cottage that is supposed to be unoccupied have secrets Nick might be much better off not knowing: secrets about his mother's unexplained disappearance and about his own uncanny talents that could cost him more than Nick is willing to lose...including his life.