The Palm Beach home of Ross Logan contains his celebrated collection of oriental art, and a prized new possession -- his terrified young bride....

Adorning the Florida coastline stands Poinciana, the fabulous mansion of the Logan family. Inside its regal walls a volcano of intrigue and violent emotion has begun to erupt, and not one of the Logans is safe.

Especially not Sharon Hollis Logan, the lovely young bride of patriarch Ross Logan. For reasons unknown to Sharon, Ross seems to be hated by Gretchen, his daughter from a previous marriage, by her ne'er-do-well husband, Vasily, and by Ross's strange mother, Allegra -- and all their hostility is readily transferred to Sharon.

But as she tries to find out why, Sharon uncovers a devastating secret about her own relationship with her husband -- a secret that, in the end, will test the limits of her courage as well as her ability to love....