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On one side of the table are Vivian’s daughters, Lucille and Rennie, as well as Lucille’s only child, Madeline.

Completing the opening tableau is Reid Lyman, Vivian’s attorney.

It’s not entirely clear why the families are meeting in Yin Manor, Vivian’s dilapidated mansion, as opposed to in the attorney’s office, but as this is a Gothic haunted house novel, the venue, if a tad contrived, is crucial.

Vivian Yin’s will contains an unpleasant surprise for her daughters.

When Lucille gets a preliminary toxicology report from her mother’s autopsy, she learns that the results are “inconclusive,” and becomes convinced that Elaine must have poisoned Vivian, and sets out to use her week in the house to prove it.