Omit Flowers

On a gloomy old California estate, the Cameron heirs confront greed, madness, and murder

In the heyday of silent cinema, Cameron Heights was billed as the “California Wonder Town.” A sprawling development of lavish bungalows, its streets were named after film stars, its houses decorated with Hollywood finery. Fifteen years later, it’s a ghost town, and the spirit who rules over it is more disturbing than any horror that has ever haunted the silver screen. Elderly eccentric Joel Cameron has more money than he knows what to do with, and heirs too greedy for words. One Christmas, they convene at Cameron Heights, hoping to have the old man declared mad and the inheritance divided accordingly. But when part of the house goes up in flames—taking old Joel with it—there arises the question of who set the fatal fire, and which family member will be left with nothing but ashes.