Matters of the Heart

Hope Dunne has carved out a name for herself as a top photographer, known the joys of marriage and motherhood and the heartbreak of loss. In her chic Soho loft, Hope is content with her life, finding serenity and beauty through the lens of her camera. She isn't looking for a man or excitement. But these things find her when she accepts a last minute assignment to fly to London and photograph one of the world's most celebrated writers - an Irish-American author known for novels of thrilling, literary darkness.

To Hope's surprise, Finn O'Neill exudes warmth and a boyish charm. Enormously successful, instantly recognizable, he is a perfect counterpoint to Hope's quiet, steady grace - and he's taken instantly by her. He courts her, whisking her away to his palatial, isolated Irish estate, weaving a tapestry of tales about his family and his life.

Hope finds it all absolutely dizzying - Finn's charm is undeniable. But soon cracks begin to appear in his stories: gaps in his history, a few innocent lies, bouts of jealousy. Suddenly Hope is both in love and suspicious, caring and deeply in doubt. Alone, thousands of miles from home, her mind is reeling. Is she just being paranoid? How many lies has he told? Are there more secrets to come? Is it possible that this kind, loving, attentive man - like the characters in his novels - is hiding something even worse?

With unerring insight and compassion, Danielle Steel delivers an unforgettable tale of danger and obsessive love. Fearlessly telling the truth, refusing to look away, Steel proves once again that, as an American storyteller, she has no peer when she explores the secrets that lurk just below the surface of ordinary lives, writing about men, women and matters of the heart.