When the Curtain Rises

The stage beneath her began to turn, and then suddenly it was not a stage, but a carousel populated by wolves and wild dogs and other dark beasts. They were fixed in place on the carousel, and yet somehow they were alive, roaring and howling as the carousel spun faster and faster through the darkness. The bench she'd been sitting on had become a vicious hound. It yapped and growled as she clung to its black fur in terror. Chloe McBride has some reservations about spending the summer with her elderly great-aunts, but her initial reluctance is outweighed by her curiosity concerning the tiny key that was sent with her aunts' invitation. She's also anxious to put the memory of a disastrous piano recital as far behind her as possible. Convinced that the key was sent as a challenge to solve a family mystery, Chloe begins searching for clues. When her investigations eventually lead her to a mysterious rosewood box, Chloe must confront her deepest fears and ambitions.