Pale as the Dead

NY: St. Martin's Minotaur. Very Good+ in Near Fine dust wrapper. c2002, 2004. First US Edition. Hardcover. 278 pages. Black remainder dot top textblock edge, tiny mark on fore-edge, very lightly bumped spine ends. Unclipped dust wrapper faintly edgeworn. A nice copy.; <b>The first book in the mystery series featuring genealogist / ancestor detective Natasha Blake. 'Pale as the Dead deals with the mysterious death of Lizzie Siddal, a real and fascinating historical figure whose beauty and tragic life have made her into a legend.' (She was the model for the painting featured on the dust wrapper.) 'Lizzie's death has always been shrouded in mystery. She is perhaps best known for the macabre story that tells of her husband, the Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, having her coffin dug up to retrieve some poems he had buried with her. When the coffin was opened, Lizzie was said to be as beautiful as the day she died. Pale as the Dead is the story of how the disappearance of a young girl, Bethany, appears to be linked in some way to Lizzie Siddal. Natasha is hired by the missing girl's lover, Adam, whose own life seems to have plenty of dark shadows. An old diary and a famous graveyard lead Natasha into more danger than she bargains for - some people will do anything to keep a secret.'</b> Image is actual copy on offer. .