"A writer so popular that the public library has to keep [her] books under lock and key."

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Along with the truth came danger.

Hoping that a trip to her late husband's childhood home will help her come to terms with his recent death, Kathy Malone travels to the rolling hills of Tuscany. But there, instead of solace, Kathy finds a lonely boy named Pietro, uncanny hints about her late husband, and the stately Contessa Morandini, whose chilly reception warms only when she mistakenly assumes Kathy is pregnant with the next heir of the Morandini line.

Despite—or perhaps because of—the Contessa's efforts to keep Kathy and Pietro apart, Kathy befriends the young boy. Their games lead her through the villa's maze of dark hallways, where she begins to discover hints of a startling truth. As the pieces of a sinister and murderous plan fall into place, Kathy realizes she has stumbled onto a dangerous obsession...one that was meant to stay hidden forever.

Author Biography: Barbara Michaels is the award-winning author of more than 20 novels, including six New York Times bestsellers. She has a doctorate in Egyptology from the University of Chicago and lives in Frederick, MD.

FROM THE CRITICS

San Jose Mercury News

Barbara Michaels tells her story with grace, wit, and unflagging suspense.

San Jose Mercury News

Barbara Michaels tells her story with grace, wit, and unflagging suspense.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

No one can match Barbara Michaels. — Phyllis Whitney

"No one can match Barbara Michaels."  — Harper Collins - New Media