After a costly divorce and twelve months in rehab, murder mystery author B.A. Fisher is under pressure to write his next bestseller. To avoid distraction, he rents a property in the Gold Coast hinterland. Steeped in history, the tiny loggers' cabin – Mary's Mansion – was built in the 1800s by one of the first Tallebudgera Valley settlers, Callum Murphy, where he lived with his wife, Mary. The energy of the valley inspires Fisher and he quickly sets to work, completing a new book in record time. Chronicling the murder of a young woman in a hinterland community, The Valley of Kate races to the top of the bestseller lists worldwide. When appearing at the Byron Writers Festival, Fisher is confronted by James Fenton, the owner of the horse stud adjacent to Mary's Mansion. Fenton accuses the author of plagiarising the story from an unsolved murder that took place in the cottage five years previously, while naming Fenton as the killer. With the prospect of being sued, Fisher seeks the help of Gold Coast Private Detective Scotty Stephens to clear his name. But Scotty has his doubts when Fisher reveals it was the ghost of Mary Murphy who helped him write the book. Delving into the case, Scotty realises the author's plot is undeniably close to the actual unsolved murder. Fisher not only indicts Fenton but denunciates the characters of the Tallebudgera community. Scotty moves into the cottage and sets to work gaining the trust of the valley folk. While doing so, he unearths a mystery far greater than the throwaway plot in Fisher's book – one that spans over a century of Tallebudgera history. Will the ghosts of the valley be with him or against him?
