In the Victorian Age, a mysterious and irresistible woman becomes entwined in the lives of several artists, both as a muse and as the object of all-consuming obsession. Radborne Comstock, one of the early twentieth century's most brilliant young painters, is helpless under her dangerous spell.
In modern-day London, journalist Daniel Rowlands meets a beguiling woman who holds the secret to invaluable -- and lost -- Pre-Raphaelite paintings, while wealthy dilettante-actor Valentine Comstock is consumed by enigmatic visions.
Swirling between eras and continents, Mortal Love is the intense tale of unforgettable characters caught in a whirlwind of art, love, and intrigue that will take your breath away.
Industry Reviews
"A literary page-turner.deeply pleasurable.Hand's lushly worded tale is consistently gripping. . A delightful waking dream." (Four stars) -- People Elizabeth Hand is a writer whose vision, and whose writing into that extraordinary vision of hers, is exceptional --Bradford Morrow I think she has written the best book of her generation. --Peter Straub Don t turn the pages too fast if you can help it. --John Crowley You don t so much read this novel as drink it down, like absinthe. --Kelly Link Mortal Love is a wildly intelligent, dangerously sexy read. --Alisa Kwitney, author of Does She or Doesn't She? A brilliant novel like Elizabeth Hand s recent Mortal Love deserves all the readers it can get. --Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World At once a painting in prose, an investigation into artistic obsession and a re-evaluation . Ambitious and richly imagined. --Washington Post Book World The novel succeeds as both a thriller and a meditation on the mysterious nature of inspiration. --Village Voice A wonderfully Gothic atmosphere, with lush visual imagery and rich poetic language. --Library Journal A literary page-turner deeply pleasurable Hand s lushly worded tale is consistently gripping. A delightful waking dream. (Four stars)--People A lushly written treat that is also that rarest of things, a thought-provoking literary page-turner. --BookPage Mortal Love is bewitching, sexy, creepy and, under all, dazzlingly romantic. --Detroit Free Press A great gothic read, and one that dishes up all the dark delights. --James Reese, author of The Book of ShadowsJames Reese, author of The Book of ShadowsJames Reese, author of The Book of ShadowsJames Reese, author of The Book of Shadows "A great gothic read, and one that dishes up all the dark delights."--James Reese, author of The Book of ShadowsJames Reese, author of The Book of ShadowsJames Reese, author of The Book of ShadowsJames Reese, author of The Book of Shadows "A brilliant novel like Elizabeth Hand's recent Mortal Love deserves all the readers it can get."--Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World "The novel succeeds as both a thriller and a meditation on the mysterious nature of inspiration."--Village Voice "Mortal Love is a wildly intelligent, dangerously sexy read."--Alisa Kwitney, author of Does She or Doesn't She? "Elizabeth Hand is a writer whose vision, and whose writing into that extraordinary vision of hers, is exceptional..."--Bradford Morrow " I think she has written the best book of her generation."--Peter Straub "Don't turn the pages too fast-if you can help it."--John Crowley "You don't so much read this novel as drink it down, like absinthe."--Kelly Link "A literary page-turner...deeply pleasurable...Hand's lushly worded tale is consistently gripping. ... A delightful waking dream." (Four stars)--People "At once a painting in prose, an investigation into artistic obsession and a re-evaluation.... Ambitious and richly imagined."--Washington Post Book World "A wonderfully Gothic atmosphere, with lush visual imagery and rich poetic language."--Library Journal "A lushly written treat that is also that rarest of things, a thought-provoking literary page-turner."--BookPage "Mortal Love is bewitching, sexy, creepy and, under all, dazzlingly romantic."--Detroit Free Press
