Josie Switch has led a hard life. Orphaned by a killer at the age of eight, followed by several miserable years of foster care, she's then forced to live on her own after turning eighteen.

She thinks her troubles may be over when she learns that she has inherited a historic house in a college town three hours away. Josie jumps at the chance to move there but quickly discovers that this unexpected gift comes with disturbing strings attached. The 200-year-old mansion is so dilapidated that it is on the verge of being condemned, and the necessary repairs cost far more than she could ever afford.

Worse, there are unscrupulous people who want to take her home away from her because of its location on 27 acres of prime riverfront property. Others want the Switch estate because of the treasure that is said to be hidden somewhere, stashed in a secret chamber or buried on the grounds.

Worse still, strange things are going on inside the family mansion. Furniture won't stay where Josie puts it. A door at the end of the hallway doesn't always open to the same room. The Steinway grand piano plays Chopin in the middle of the night with no one at the keyboard.

And then there's the mysterious stray cat that shows up during a thunderstorm and refuses to leave.

Josie starts to think that the rumors of the house being haunted may actually be true but soon realizes that there's more to it than that. The house wants something from her, something only she can provide. She must figure out what that is or the consequences will be deadly.