Recently married and awaiting the birth of her first child, Margaret Davies takes a position at Wendall Hall, a privately funded charity for unwed, expectant women in a small town east of Edinburgh. With Christmas around the corner and a number of birthing rooms empty, Margaret and Wendall Hall founder Violet Bane turn their attention to the babies in the nursery, ensuring they arrive at their adoptive homes in time for the holidays. Their Christmas preparations take an unexpected turn, however, when a body is discovered in a snowbank outside the Hall's side door the day following a harrowing storm. It doesn't take long for Margaret to realize not everything is what it seems at the benevolent charity. Decades-old secrets lurk in the shadows of the old manor house, secrets that go far beyond penniless women trying to hide their scandalous pregnancies, secrets Violet Bane had meant to take to her grave.

A former journalist and graduate from Humber College's School for Writers, Tracy L. Ward is the author behind the best-selling Marhsall House Mysteries and the new Mercy Me Mysteries. With an equal passion for British and Canadian history, Tracy enjoys dividing her time between historical research and creative writing.She lives north of Toronto, Canada with her husband and two children.