The air crackles with anticipation in scenic Lighthouse Bay, Massachusetts, when best-selling author Camilla Courtenay breezes into Castleton Manor to judge the final round of a Regency romance writing contest. The three finalists are competing for a publishing contract with Northanger Press, and the pressure intensifies when they accept their last - and most challenging - writing assignment. Librarian Faith Newberry eagerly assists the contestants with their research while looking forward to the lavish grand ball when the winner will be announced.

But in the days leading up to the ball, Camilla experiences a few unusual - and potentially deadly - incidents. Are they simply accidents, or is someone attempting to permanently end her career?

As Faith and her friends in the Candle House Book Club investigate the suspicious incidents, they discover a backstory of secrets, lies, and betrayals that could have been ripped from the pages of one of Camilla's novels. But truth is stranger than fiction, and the group learns that Camilla's name appears in all the finalists' black books. When every contestant is a suspect, how far will one of them go to win?

With the clock ticking and the grand ball swiftly approaching, Faith and her friends - along with her mischievous cat, Watson - kick their investigation into high gear. Can they catch the culprit before Camilla's happy ending turns into a nightmare?