Heavy rains force Polly Plum and her valet Montgolfier Handgraves to seek lodging in a small town on their way back to Worcester, Massachusetts. Polly soon discovers that they have arrived on the night of young socialite Lionel Hampstead's apparent suicide. Surrounded by corrupt police officers and haunted by Hampstead's ghost, Polly must discover the truth behind his death before it is too late. Loosely based on true events that occurred in Spencer, Massachusetts in 1889, "A Sinister Aura" is a mystery story brought to you by Spencer, MA native Bret M. Herholz.