The Devil and the Diva — David Housewright; Renee Valois

When pop diva Sheila Lews dies under puzzling circumstances, Clarisse Dufresne is approached by agents of a shadowy international crime syndicate with a proposition--“What if, after a period of time, say five years--yeah, make it five years--it was discovered that Sheila had left behind some unmixed tracks, songs she had been working on before she died but didn't release? What do you think a find like that would be worth?” Clarisse refuses to participate in the fraud and is rescued by a mysterious man named Maurice Crevier, who conceals both his face and his intentions behind a black, obsidian mask. But the savior soon becomes Clarisse's tormentor when she learns that she is not his guest as he professes, but his prisoner. Despite it all--and against her better judgment--Clarisse feels a growing fascination and affection for her jailer, as well as his odd henchmen--a voodoo-practicing Haitian and a young chef who is haunted by the ghost of her mother. Until a second attempt is made on her life. And a third. David and Renee have written a great story which is not easily classified. It has mystery, chases, gun battles, murder, sex…we're calling it a gothic suspense novel.