Light Fantastique

At the Theatre Boheme, danger decides who takes the final curtain call.

Hailed as the most talented actress of her generation, Marie St. Jean has something more to her ability than mere talent. She loses a bit of her soul to each role. When the ghostly spirit of the theatre promises her an easy fix, she's tempted by the chance to finally live a normal life. Unfortunately, the man she's drawn to is the last one to settle for normal. But with the Prussians surrounding Paris, there's no escaping that temptation, either. Violinist Johann Bledsoe thought he'd left his disgrace in England, but a murder outside the Theatre Boheme makes him wonder if he's been exposed. Another reason not to stick around once the siege ends, even if Marie fascinates him. More murders, steam-powered ravens, and past and present secrets bring them closer to discovering just what lurks within the theatre, and who threatens from without. The only way to save themselves is to reveal their darkest shames-and use the Eros Element in a way that has already driven one man to the brink of madness.

Warning: Processed in a facility where wine is used as currency and dessert is a reward. If you dislike French cooking and attitudes, move along. Things are cooking in this book, and it ain't Julia Child.