The island, and the old, crooked house that sits upon it have been in Jonathan’s family for centuries, ever since his ancestor Hamish killed its former resident, Lyndsay – the witch of the loch.

As a child, Jonathan witnessed great tragedy there, and blocked all thoughts of the island from his memory. It’s only when he overhears his father discussing the upcoming sale of the island that Jonathan starts to remember more and more about what happened that last summer when he was nine years old.

As soon as he can, he and his wife Evelyn set sail to spend one last summer there. Spending time on the island also becomes a chance for reflection. The past tragedies that Jonathan had tried to block out of his mind are starting to creep back in, but he has to wonder, how could any of that have actually happened? There’s no such thing as magic? Yet he remembers the hours he and his little sister spent, playing with that little robin - who seemed far too intelligent, and seemed to be able to awaken their grandfather from his catatonic state for a few hours every day, enough time for the old man to tell the children the history of the island, the witch, and the curse that she had placed upon their house.

Then there was also the matter of that old carousel horse up in the nursery, Trailblazer. If only Jonathan could remember what was so important about that old horse. He knew that was the key to everything, if only he could remember. Evelyn is more concerned about the grave that she finds whilst caught out in a thunderstorm, and more importantly, did Jonathan know about it?