A suspenseful tale of art, love, and sex--the ultimate mysteries. As this erotic mystery unfolds, the conversation whips and snaps between Stella, a vivacious bohemian writer and eco-activist, and Edward Prain, a refined connoisseur of the rare books on hand in Stella's fusty London bookstall. While Prain is mysteriously aloof about his background, Stella finds his insights into art more and more stimulating, until one rainy afternoon she makes a surprising discovery: Prain is the head of England' s most prestigious publishing house and a leading collector of art. And now, he would like her to come to tea at his country estate... to discuss her writing. Stella is too intrigued to say no. Yet their cat-and-mouse game only intensifies at his sumptuous estate, where she finds herself engaged in an increasingly devilish conversation on the making of art, the selling of art, and the protection of self until Prain reveals that he knows more about her past than he has ever let on...

Author Biography

Joan Taylor is a historian and the author of several books on ancient religious history and archeology, including the prize-winning "Christians and the Holy Places." A native New Zealander and former professor of religious studies at Waikato University, she currently lives in England, where she lectures widely on religion and philosophy. This is her first novel