"A fantastic work of historical fiction. If I could have scored it higher than five stars, I would have." -
ReaderViews.com
" A powerful, richly drawn historical thriller that is as terrifying as it is absorbing. Highly recommended." -
BestThrillers.com
"Beauty is power," Dr. Rome told her. "And with enough power, one can achieve anything."
Straightening noses, trimming eyelids, lifting jowls ... In the year 1907, his revolutionary beauty surgery is considered daring, perhaps dangerous. Still, women want what Dr. Rome promises.
Neither is his young assistant, Abigail Platford, immune to Dr. Rome's persuasive charm. Abigail once dreamed of becoming a doctor, though of a much different sort. That dream ended with her father's tragic death from a medical error for which she holds herself responsible. But Dr. Rome, who proudly displays his medical degree from Johns Hopkins, seems to believe in her. If he were willing to act as her mentor, might there still be a chance to fulfill her dream of someday becoming a doctor serving New York City's poor?
But something feels terribly wrong, as though an insidious evil is closing in. Broken promises, lies, and intrigues abound. The powerful are threatening to destroy the weak, and a doctor's sacred duty hangs in the balance. Abigail no longer knows who to believe; but with Dr. Rome now her mentor and her lover, she desperately wants to trust him.
Even when she discovers that one of their patients has mysteriously disappeared.
From bestselling author Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard, a suspenseful work of historical fiction grounded in the social and moral issues of the Edwardian era in America. Finalist, Eric Hoffer Book Award (2018). Re-edited Second Edition with Author's Preface.