Title:	The Witch of Painted Sorrows
	Author:	M.J. Rose
	Published:	2015, Atria Books
	No. of Pages:	366
	Cover Price:	$25.00 Hardcover, $12.99 Kindle

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Set in Paris in the 1890s, The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose is a historical thriller which tells the story of Sandrine Salome, who runs away from her privileged life, plenty of money, and her abusive husband in New York to Paris where her grandmother lives. Unfortunately, she finds that her grandmother's mansion is undergoing repairs, and she isn't particularly welcome; in fact, her grandmother warns her that she is in danger, and must stay away from the mansion. Sandrine's grandmother, who is very rich, is actually a famous courtesan. Sandrine defies her grandmother and enters the mansion; she falls in love with Julien Duplessi, who is an architect in charge of the repairs, and they explore the house, along with the massive collection of paintings, many painted by La Lune, a 16th century courtesan who was also a witch. Sandrine becomes possessed by La Lune, and is pursued by her evil husband.

While this novel isn't your run-of-the-mill thriller, it is one that keeps readers on the edge; there is a bit of the supernatural, as well as romantic history and the occult. Rose is an experienced, gifted writer, and is able to make readers actually feel that they are in Paris and are vicariously experiencing the mysterious events as they unfold in the story. The characters are believable, and seem real; the ambience of old Paris is strong, and it is easy to imagine that the events happening in the novel are actually happening.

The Witch of Painted Sorrows deals with some adult subject matter, but it is not graphic; and the violence that fills so many of modern thrillers of today is basically absent. This novel is definitely recommended for those readers who want to read something a little different; it is fascinating and well-written.

Special thanks to Deb Zipf of Meryl L. Moss Media Relations for supplying a review copy of this book.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
The Witch of Painted Sorrows (The Daughters of La Lune) Hardcover
The Witch of Painted Sorrows (The Daughters of La Lune) Kindle