The Witch of Painted Sorrows
M.J. Rose, 2015
Atria Books
384 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781476778068
Summary
Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.
Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing.
The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.
Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.
This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—New York City, New York, USA
• Education—B.A., Syracuse University
• Currently—lives in Greenwich, Connecticut
M. J. Rose is an American author and book marketing executive. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and spent the 1980's working in advertising, eventually as Creative director of Rosenfeld Sirowitz and Lawson. One of her commercials is featured in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. She lives in Connecticut with the composer Doug Scofield and their dog, Winka.
Rose launched her publishing career in 1998, when she self-published her first novel, Lip Service. When traditional publishers had rejected it—unsure of how to market a book that did not fit into one distinct genre—Rose promoted the book online, setting up a website where readers could download the book. After selling 2500 copies (in digital and paper formats), the book was chosen by the Literary Guild/Doubleday Book Club and became the first e-book to be subsequently published by a mainstream New York publisher.
Following Lip Service, Rose wrote the thrillers In Fidelity (2001), Flesh Tones (2003), and Sheet Music (2004). Her Butterfield Institute Series introduced protagonist Dr. Morgan Snow, a renowned New York sex therapist, and includes The Halo Effect (2005), The Delilah Complex (2006), and The Venus Fix (2006). In 2006, she also wrote the erotic novel, Lying in Bed.
Rose began a new series focusing on reincarnation and other supernatural phenomena, starting with The Reincarnationist (2007),and continuing with The Memorist (2008), The Hypnotist (2010), and The Book of Lost Fragrances (2012). The Reincarnationist was the inspiration for the Fox TV series "Past Life."
Rose provides book marketing services and consultation to authors through AuthorBuzz.com and runs the popular publishing industry blog, Buzz, Balls & Hype. She co-authored Buzz Your Book with Doug Clegg, which she uses to teach an online book marketing class of the same name. (From Wikipedia.)
Book Reviews
Has just about everything a thriller fan could wish for.
Philadelphia Inquirer
Rose has a talent for compelling writing, and this time she has outdone herself. Fear, desire, lust and raw emotion ooze off the page.
Associated Press Staff
An elegant tale of rare depth and beauty, as brilliantly crafted as it is wondrously told....melds the normal and paranormal in the kind of seamless fashion reserved for such classic ghost stories as Henry James' The Turn of the Screw.
Providence Journal
Layered with historical information is the strange and haunting story of two women. The book must be savored slowly to appreciate the skill of the author to tell a great story.
Fredericksburg Newspaper
It’s been a while since I dug into a can't-put-it-down novel of thrills and chills, and this one—a gothic historical fiction set in 1890s Belle Epoque Paris—promises to be just that. The tale involves a haunted Parisian mansion, the legends of a fabled sixteenth century French courtesan, a twisted love story, and witchcraft…sign me up for this wild ride!
Huffington Post
Provocative, erotic, and spellbindingly haunting...will have the reader totally mesmerized cover-to-cover. A captivating supernatural read that will keep you enthralled.... ]A] "must-have" novel. The New York Times bestselling author returns with what is being heralded as "her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet."
Suspense Magazine
This haunting tale of possession, set in 1894 Paris...inaugurates a new trilogy. “I did not cause the madness, the deaths, or the rest of the tragedies.... I had help.” So says New York socialite and artist Sandrine Salome.... Fans of literate supernatural suspense will be pleased.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review.) Rose's latest paranormal thriller mixes reality and illusion...mystery and romance into a sensual adult fairy tale. She stirs her readers' curiosity and imaginations...[with] unforgettable full-bodied characters and richly detailed narrative result in an entrancing read. —Debbie Haupt, St. Charles City-Cty. Lib. Dist., St Peters, MO
Library Journal
Rose expertly builds suspense as Sandrine gives into her deepest desires and La Lune’s influence, and the twist ending sets up the next entry in this gothic trilogy.
Booklist
[A] unique and captivating supernatural angle, set in an intriguing belle epoque Paris—a perfect match for the author's lush descriptions, intricate plot and mesmerizing storytelling. A cliffhanger ending will leave readers hungry for the next volume. Sensual, evocative, mysterious and haunting.
Kirkus Reviews
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