The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia PetheramÕs beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitationÑon fine ivory paper, in bold black handwritingÑfrom the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, itÕs as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wivesÑall with hair as red as her ownÑin the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows sheÕs trapped in the passion and danger of de CressacÕs intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debutÑa thrilling retelling of the ÒBluebeardÓ fairy tale.