“Compelling, historical, poetical, sensitive, erotic—this wonderful novel is all this and much more.”—Express

Alexander von Brücken, a reclusive millionaire with an enigmatic past, invites an unnamed writer to stay in his mansion and ghostwrite his autobiography. The writer will be well paid for his efforts, and literary fame is virtually guaranteed; von Brücken’s only stipulation is that the book not be published until after his death. But could the story he recounts—a tale of greed, fanaticism, and erotic obsession—be little more than a dazzling fabrication, the bitter fruit of unrequited love? The play of truth and fiction combine with fine storytelling in this novel about the dangerous games that Eros plays with us.