The queen, a famous beauty who has singlehandedly transformed Roumania from a backwater into a force to be reckoned with, invites the pair to Bran castle. The ancient fortress sits on the border with the newly-regained territory of Transylvania, and w as a gift to Queen Marie from her people.

The threat the queen fears is somewhat dubious: shadowy figures, vague whispers, dangers that may only be accidents. But a young girl is involved. So, putting aside their doubts, Russell and Holmes set out to investigate the mystery in a land of long memory and hidden corners - a land that had known Vlad the Impaler...A land from whose churchyards the shades creep.