The Witch of Painted Sorrows
Books | Fiction / Fantasy / Historical
3.2
M. J. Rose
Indie Next Pick Library Reads Pick People Magazine Pick Boston Globe Pick of the Week Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M.J. Rose creates her most provocative spellbinder to date in this gothic novel set against the lavish backdrop of Belle Époque Paris.Called an “elegant tale of rare depth and beauty, as brilliantly crafted as it is wondrously told” by the Providence Journal, The Witch of Painted Sorrows “melds the normal and paranormal in the kind of seamless fashion reserved for such classic ghost stories as Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw.” New York socialite Sandrine Salome flees an abusive husband for her grandmother’s Paris mansion, despite warnings that the lavish family home is undergoing renovation and too dangerous to enter. There Sandrine meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing architect who introduces her to the City of Lights—its art world, forbidden occult underground, nightclubs—and to her own untapped desires. Soon Sandrine’s threatening husband tracks her down and an insidious spirit takes hold: La Lune, a witch and a legendary sixteenth-century courtesan who exposes Sandrine to a deadly darkness. “M.J. Rose has a talent for compelling writing, and this time she has outdone herself. Fear, desire, lust, and raw emotion ooze off the page,” says the Associated Press. In her instantly absorbing tour de force, Rose imagines Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul” dramatically underwritten by a tragic love story and a family curse that illuminates the fine line between explosive passion and complete ruination.
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More Details:
Author
M. J. Rose
Pages
366
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
2015-03-17
ISBN
147677806X 9781476778068
Community ReviewsSee all
"A terrific surprise, fascinating story about "artistes" and obsessive passions in La Belle Epoque in Paris. Rich story, great turn at the end."
Diane Morello
"I’m pushing the definition of cozy here, but there certainly is mystery and witchiness."
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Kristi S
"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. <br/><br/>I think this book was exactly what I needed after the romp that was the last two books of the Leviathan Wakes series. It's quiet and arty and introspective. It was mythological and historical and magical and subtle above all else, and I really loved it."
Amanda Ebbutt
"This book was a wild ride. Set in the late 1800's in beautiful, but dark Paris, Sandrine has fled America to escape her brutal husband.<br/><br/>She arrives at her courtesan grandmother's house to find it closed up and her grandmother living in a lavish apartment, and not too happy to receive a runaway granddaughter. Not because she doesn't love her granddaughter, but because she is fearful for Sandrine if she is in Paris.<br/><br/>Sandrine disobeys her grandmother's wishes and goes to their family home, handed down through generations of her courtesans ancestors. While visiting there, she meets a handsome architect who is cataloguing the estate. Sandrine finds herself inexplicably drawn to a previously hidden bell tower and then to the discovery of a ruby necklace,<br/><br/>And then her adventure begins. She discovers that she is suddenly a talented painter, when previously she had failed, she finds passion with Julien, when she had always thought of herself as frigid, and she finds the confidence to pursue what she wants, whether it's admission to a male only art school or another woman's fiance.<br/><br/>This was a great mix of a gothic love story, mixed with a ghost story. The only word for the writing was lush. The ghost story was scary, the love story was passionate, and reading it made you felt like you were in the dark, slightly sinister Paris of the 1800's.<br/><br/>I will say the ending was a bit of a kicker for me. I wasn't expecting that, and at first I was taken aback, but then I decided it's nice when you don't have the typical ending.<br/><br/>Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for giving me this ARC for review.<br/><br/>"
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Marcee Feddersen
