Recently widowed Emma Andrews is spending time at Dulwich Manor with family and friends when odd, unexplainable events begin to occur. Always a bit unconventional for the Victorian times, Emma is drawn to the Sanctuary, a Stonehenge-like area on the property, and the strange Hawthorne tree growing there. When her young niece Henrietta begins drawing pictures of the tree, sight unseen, and speaking of an invisible friend, Marius, Emma wonders if there is more going on in the rain-misted moors than any of the guests realize. Emma's search draws her into a tangled drama of monsters and mystery. As she probes further the strange goings on, she discovers a shocking truth from her past that changes her life, her very existence and all she believes in.

Jacqueline Lepore creates a beautifully scripted gothic world in DESCENT INTO DUST. Ms Lepore draws the reader in with her words, which paint a picture of haunted English moors and the monsters residing there, ready to destroy those foolish enough to trespass. Emma is a strong heroine, shaped by a past she barely understands as she copes with a future she must embrace to survive. She is confronted by a monster that has been a part of her life since birth, a monster that made her into the woman who may lead to its ultimate destruction. This is the first in this series, and I look forward to Emma's next adventure!

Book Summary

March 1862. The misty, moody, rain-lashed moors. A scrounge of mysterious deaths. A child in peril. A manor house with strange Latin inscriptions that look like clues. An inscrutable handsome stranger whose motives are unclear. A fraught relationship between sisters. A secret family heritage that will change one woman's life forever, and give the world one slim chance to vanquish an ancient and undreamt-of evil.

Plus: vampires. A bunch of them. And a hint of the most powerful vampire of all: The Dracula.

When young Victorian widow Emma Andrews travels to her cousin's country manor, she expects it to be an ordinary family visit. Instead, she will discover she has hidden powers, meet a mysterious stranger, battle a menacing evil--and change the direction of her life forever.

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