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Set against the backdrop of the Great Flood, The Paris Winter is a dark and powerful tale of deceit and revenge from a masterful storyteller.
Maud Heighton came to Lafond's famous Academie to paint, and to flee the constraints of her small English town. It took all her courage to escape, but Paris, she quickly realizes, is no place for a light purse. While her fellow students enjoy the dazzling decadence of the Belle Epoque, Maud slips into poverty. Quietly starving, and dreading another cold Paris winter, Maud is hired by Christian Morel as companion to his beautiful, young sister, Sylvie. But Sylvie, Maud discovers, is not quite the darling she seems. She has a secret addiction to opium and an ominous air of intrigue.
As Maud is drawn further into the Morels' world of elegant luxury, their secrets become hers. And before the New Year arrives, a greater deception will plunge her into the darkness that waits beneath this glittering city of light.
Hardcover & ebook: Nov 2014. Paperback: Jan 2016.
"Starred Review. For readers of historical fiction looking for a complex story, this is a sure bet and most likely the next big hit of any book discussion group." - Library Journal
"Starred Review. With a twisty, well-crafted plot, this novel is rich in historical detail and robust with personality." - Kirkus
"Robertson fans will miss her customary strong lead and supporting characters with depth" - Publishers Weekly
"...Robertson's subtle and nuanced grasp of character, notably of the vulnerable Maud: a heroine almost worthy of Thomas Hardy...It is this characterisation – as much as the narrative – that lifts The Paris Winter into a category of its own." - Barry Forshaw, The Independent (UK)
"I must have breathed while reading The Paris Winter, but I could not say when. Robertson's dark tale in the City of Light will haunt the reader long after closing its pages." - Erika Robuck, bestselling author of Hemingway's Girl
"Rich as a ripened red wine, The Paris Winter intoxicates and satisfies the reader's darkest desires to be mysteriously entranced." - Sarah McCoy, author of the international bestseller The Baker's Daughter
"Imogen Robertson has written an enthralling novel. With its beguiling characters, deliciously twisted storyline, and setting in a city that is sometimes seductively glamorous, sometimes shivery with menace, The Paris Winter is an absolute treat for lovers of historical fiction." - Margaret Leroy, author of The Soldier's Wife
This information about The Paris Winter was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Imogen Robertson directed for TV, film, and radio before becoming a full-time author. She also writes and reviews poetry. Imogen is the author of several novels, including the Crowther and Westerman series. She was shortlisted for the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award 2011 and for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award 2012. The Paris Winter was partially inspired by Imogen's paternal grandmother, a free-spirited traveler who set off through Europe with money sewn into her skirts.
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