Megan Chance

From the author of Glamorous Notions comes a harrowing tale set aboard a yacht in the 1920s, where luxury borders on lunacy and mysteries of the deep blur the lines between science and the occult. The Great War may be over, but brilliant scientist Billie McKennan continues the fight to be taken seriously. When a deliberate omission wins her a marine biologist position aboard an expedition funded by a wealthy eccentric, she quickly discovers she’s not the only one keeping secrets. The opulent Eurybia sets sail for the Gulf of California with a handful of well-to-do passengers and talented scientists on board. To Billie’s surprise, her ex-husband counts among them. The true mission of the voyage comes into question when a mysterious specimen is captured. And then science unexpectedly gives way to wild rumors and superstition. Soon, a sinister force takes hold of the vessel—and everyone on it. Billie must reconcile her beliefs with the reality of what she encounters in the vermilion sea. But how much is she willing to sacrifice in order to survive?

A costume designer?s past casts a long shadow over her well-constructed lies in this intriguing story about stolen identities, friendship, and betrayal from the author of A Splendid Ruin and A Dangerous Education.Hollywood, 1955. As head costume designer for Lux Pictures, Lena Taylor hears startling confessions from the biggest movie stars. She knows how to keep their secrets?after all, none of their scandals can match her own.Lena was once Elsie Gruner, the daughter of an Ohio dressmaker. Her gift for fashion design helped her win a coveted spot at an art academy in Rome. While in Italy, she became enthralled by the charismatic Julia, who drew her into a shadowy world of jazz clubs, code words, and mysterious deliveries. When one of Julia?s intrigues ended in murder, Elsie found herself in the middle of a bewildering sinister international plot. So she ran.After fleeing to LA, Elsie became Lena?but she?s never stopped looking over her shoulder. Now, as her engagement to a screenwriter throws her into the spotlight, she?s terrified her façade won?t hold up. Will she figure out the truth about her past before everything falls apart?

Keď sa mesto ponorí do temnoty, na svetlo sa začínajú vynárať dlho ukrývané rodinné tajomstvá. Hypnotizujúci historický román o zrade, šialenstve, ale aj láske a odvahe pobiť sa za vlastný život a získať späť všetko, čo bolo kedysi stratené. Píše sa rok 1906 a mladučká May Kimblová sa po smrti svojej milovanej matky ocitá v New Yorku úplne sama a bez prostriedkov. Z neutešenej situácie ju vytrhne až list s pozvaním do San Francisca od tety, o ktorej existencii doteraz ani netušila. May spočiatku očarí bohatstvo novo nájdenej rodiny, čoskoro si však začína uvedomovať, že v tieni sullivanovského sídla číhajú temné tajomstvá. Jej očarujúca sesternica v noci často mizne v nebezpečnej Čínskej štvrti. Teta sa pod vplyvom ópia potuluje po sídle. Strýko má milenku a jeho biznisu sa nedarí ani zďaleka tak dobre, ako by sa na prvý pohľad zdalo. No a slúžka jej naznačuje, že je vo veľkom nebezpečenstve. May ani netuší ako, a zrazu pre zradu, šialenstvo a vraždu, ktorú nespáchala, stráca všetko vrátane svojej slobody. Šanca na záchranu prichádza, až keď v jedno skoré aprílové ráno San Francisco zasiahne ničivé zemetrasenie. Táto neočakávaná tragická udalosť prináša May vykúpenie a umožní jej vydať sa na trýznivú cestu, aby získala späť všetko, čo jej kedysi kruto vzali. Náhly zvrat osudu jej privádza do cesty tajomného spojenca a dáva jej šancu na sladkú pomstu...