Shortly after the turn of the century, a huge American Castle a la Biltmore or Vanderbilt was converted to an insane asylum. Your father, the late Malcolm Metcalf, was the final superintendent when the place closed for good back in the 40s. About 5 years ago (when the book series begins) the late Dad had grown bitter over the closure and began taking his revenge from beyond the grave. People in Blackstone began to die at the hands of a shadowy killer. Before their death each of the victims received a gift. Each of these gifts had previously belonged to an inmate of the asylum years ago. Needless to say, by the end of the series the killer is revealed and all is well again in Blackstone . . . well, maybe not.