THE PERFECT POISON Hardback - 2009

by Quick, Amanda

Victorian London holds many secrets.But none are so closely guarded as those of theshadowy Arcane Society. In her suspenseful new novel,New York Times-bestselling author Amanda Quickdelves into this underworld of passion, greed,and powers that lie beyond this realm . . .

Plagued by rumors that she poisoned her fiancé, LucindaBromley manages to live on the fringes of polite society,tending her beloved plants-and occasionallyconsulting on a murder investigation. For the notorious botanistpossesses a unique talent: She can detect almost any type ofpoison, especially ones that have their origins in the botanicalkingdom.

But the death of a lord has shaken Lucinda to her core. Atthe murder scene, she picks up traces of a poison containing avery rare species of fern. So rare, in fact, that only one specimenexists in all of England-and it was stolen from her conservatoryjust last month.

To keep her name out of the inquest and to find the murderer,Lucinda hires fellow Arcane Society member Caleb Joneswho runs a psychical investigation agency. A descendant ofthe founder of the Society, Jones is very skillful at protectingits secrets-and frighteningly good getting at the truth. Immediately,Lucinda senses both a raw power and an undeniableintensity in the imposing man.

But as a nearly overwhelming desire blooms between Caleband Lucinda, they are drawn into the dark heart of a deadly conspiracythat can be traced to the early days of the Arcane Society-and to a legacy of madness that could plunge Caleb into thedepths of his own tortured soul. . . .