In the summer of 1932, a group of high-society people gathered at a mansion on the island of Tyre near the coast of Los Angeles. They decided to take part in a mysterious ritual organized by the Japanese occultist Obinata. But what was supposed to be entertainment turned into tragedy—during the ritual, a famous actress died. Soon, the other participants also died, and Obinata killed himself by rushing off a cliff. Three decades later, the mansion became a “haunted hotel,” and its owner, Mr. Blackwood, attracted tourists with stories about the ritual. But when a mysterious “ghost” dressed in Japanese attire appeared in the hotel, frightening the guests and attacking the staff, Blackwood turned to a private detective, Douglas Steane. Steane, who arrived together with the professor of English literature Marcus Van Renne, soon discovers that behind the seemingly playful prank lies a far more sinister truth.