It began with an unhappy love affair. Persis Bradbury needed a way to recover from the shock and the grief, and the job in Lisbon seemed like an ideal place to find it. But even before her plane had landed, she found herself plunged into a strange mixture of ancient magic and modern mystery.

There was a curse. It wasn't supposed to be on Casa Carranca--"The Frowning House"--itself... but it certainly existed. Growing out of a medieval feud, it now groped with its eerie tentacles to ensnare Persis. It seemed unbelievable to an up-to-date American girl--but Persis had to believe it.

And, very definitely, there was Dom Sebastiao. He was the most intriguing man she had ever met... but he came and went mysteriously and seemed involved in espionage or worse. Was he the answer to Persis's prayers... or a new threat?