A man falls under the spell of a mysterious woman, a marble statue, and a lover’s promise—and must confront his role in the violence and death that follow Meeting Senta, a woman who looks like a certain marble statue of the goddess Flora, is just about the most extraordinary thing that has happened to otherwise ordinary Philip, who dutifully cares for his mother and sisters in the London suburbs. But as their secret trysts evolve into an all-consuming passion, Philip learns that reality and fantasy cannot be easily separated in Senta’s mysterious, clouded world of secrets—and a deadly lover’s pact. Rendell’s effortless fusion of hidden truths and little white lies builds into a taut psychological thriller of obsession, delusion, and desire.
advertisement