PW Starred Review
“ Readers will thrill to this tale, a brilliant testament to Drake's versatility”
~ Publisher’s Weekly (December 2009)

Devastated over the premature death of her dearest friend, Mary, Lady Martise St. James ventures to foreboding Castle Creeghan in the Scottish Highlands to dispel rumors surrounding the young woman’s demise and retrieve a lost emerald. Beneath the stones of this aging mansion lurks a family crypt filled with sinister secrets. Locked within this threatening vault is the answer to the most dangerous question, and the promise of the most horrifying death.

Amid jaded suspicion, underlying threats, and the dreaded approach of All Hallow’s Eve in 1865, Martise encounters a witch’s coven and meets Lord Bruce Creeghan, the love of her friend’s life. Mysterious, yet passionate, Mary’s husband elicits a deep desire and a profound fear in the core of her soul. He knows . . . something. And it’s up to Martise to reveal what he hides from her prying intrusion.

Lord Creeghan wards off the invasion of his private fortress, yet he cannot resist his magnetic attraction to the beautiful sleuth. As strong as the inevitable pull toward the catacomb beneath their bed, an overwhelming obsession propels them into disheveled sheets of unquenchable hunger and lust. While savoring an affair that cannot be denied, Martise must discover whether her lover is a ruthless murderer or a guardian angel.

“An intrepid young woman goes to a remote Scottish castle to investigate her friend’s mysterious death and finds danger, deception, and love in this reprint of a classic Victorian Gothic romance (Jove, 1991) enhanced with new black-and-white illustrations.”
~ Library Journal (December 2009)

“This is definitely a thrilling read, one that will have you guessing until the very end.”
~ Danielle, Coffee Time Romance & More (January 2010)

Ms. Drake seduces her readers and captivates them in this fast-paced, intriguing, and passionate romance.
~ Lauren Calder, Affaire de Coeur (January / February 2010)

“. . . fast paced and packed with steamy love scenes . . .”
~ Troy Reed, Historical Novels Review (February 2010)

“. . . filled with many twists and turns, passion, and danger. If you are a fan of mysteries with your romance, you will love this one!”
~ JennJ, Night Owl Reviews (March 2010)

“It goes in my special keeper box . . . the one I would grab in case of fire or flood. It is Shannon Drake’s best ever and a perfect 10.”
~ Vi Janaway, Romance Reviews Today (May 1, 2010)