Harris' early novel, never before published in the United States, is a powerful, darkly Gothic evocation of Victorian artistic life. An illicit love draws a controlling artist's wife into a dangerous world of intrigue, blackmail, and revenge.
A well written gothic tale of love and revenge. There are strong themes of sexuality and pedophilia, but they aren't sensationalized and relate to the telling of the story. The writing is first rate.
"[Harris is] a master of surprise, able in the wink of an eye to transport the reader from tranquil normality to stark terror. … The reader who pays attention discovers rich rewards." Seattle Times