Extra material includes a deleted scene and a Q&A with Imogen Robertson

Maud Heighton came to Lafond's famous Academy to paint, and to flee the constraints of her small English town. It took all her courage to escape, but Paris eats money. While her fellow students enjoy the dazzling joys of the Belle Epoque, Maud slips into poverty. Quietly starving, and dreading another cold Paris winter, Maud takes a job as companion to young, beautiful Sylvie Morel. But Sylvie has a secret: an addiction to opium. As Maud is drawn into the Morels' world of elegant luxury, their secrets become hers. Before the New Year arrives, a greater deception will plunge her into the darkness that waits beneath this glittering city of light.

Imogen Robertson's break-out novel - a deep, dark and opulent tale of Belle Epoque Paris, and the secrets and dangers hidden beneath its luxurious facade.

About the Author
Imogen Robertson grew up in Darlington, studied Russian and German at Cambridge, and now lives in London. She directed for TV, film and radio before becoming a full-time author, and also writes and reviews poetry. Imogen won the Telegraph's 'First thousand words of a novel competition' in 2007 with the opening of Instruments of Darkness, her first novel.

Reviews
A charming, fast-paced thriller * People magazine *
'Matchless storytelling, gripping and moving in equal measure. Addictive' * Nicci French *
'Chillingly memorable...an extraordinary thriller' * Tess Gerritsen *
Engaging and atmospheric, Imogen Robertson's historical thriller transports readers back to the Belle Epoque, expertly evoking the artistic and glamorous side of the French capital as well as its murky underbelly. * France Magazine *
A brilliantly atmospheric evocation of fin de siecle Paris and its art world. It's a perfect book to read beside an open fire. Or on the beach. Or on the bus for that matter. A page-turner from a writer to keep an eye out for * The Gloss magazine *


Awards
Short-listed for CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger 2013.



Book Information
ISBN 9780755390137
Author Imogen Robertson
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint Headline Review
Publisher Headline Publishing Group
Weight(grams) 273g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 138mm * 24mm