Sunday Times Bestseller - BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick - BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime The intoxicating story of one woman's dreams of freedom in Victorian England and the man whose obsession threatens to destroy them forever. . . 'A sharp, scary, gorgeously evocative tale of love, art and obsession' - Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train London. 1850. On a crowded street, the dollmaker Iris Whittle meets the artist Louis Frost. Louis is a painter who yearns to have his work displayed in the Royal Academy, and he is desperate for Iris to be his model. Iris agrees, on the condition that he teaches her to paint. Dreaming of freedom, Iris throws herself into a new life of art and love, unaware that she has caught the eye of a second man. Silas Reed is a curiosity collector, enchanted by the strange and beautiful. After seeing Iris at the site of the Great Exhibition he finds he cannot forget her. As Iris's world expands, Silas's obsession grows. And it is only a matter of time before they meet again . . . 'A dark delight and fans of The Miniaturist and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock will love it' - Red Sunday Times Best Paperback of 2020 Pick - soon to be made into a major TV series! Readers love Elizabeth Macneal's The Doll Factory: 'Breathtaking' ***** 'I couldn't put it down' ***** 'Spellbinding' ***** 'I never wanted it to end' ***** 'A plot to stop your heart' *****