The Madman's Daughter

My dear friend Megan Shepherd's book The Madman's Daughter just hit bookstores, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Megan gifted me with a read of an early draft, and even when the book wasn't in it's final form, I knew it was going to be big. And now that I've read the final version, I'm even more excited. It's gripping and sexy, dark and mysterious. This is one you won't want to miss.

Juliet Moreau doesn't know who she is anymore. Her mother is dead, her father has disappeared, most of her friends have abandoned her and she has no future prospects. Worst of all, working as a cleaning girl for the medical labs at King's College makes it impossible for her to ignore the unnatural curiosity that hums through her veins. The same unnatural curiosity that got her father labeled a madman for his gruesome experiments on animals and humans alike.

Then a childhood friend turns up in London, and Juliet discovers her father is living on a remote island. Out of options and desperate for answers, she convinces Montgomery to take her to her father. With the help Montgomery and the handsome Edward, Juliet begins to piece together what happened to lead to her father's downfall and also uncovers a mystery in her own blood.

An homage to H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a true Gothic horror that will keep you on the edge of your seat. For the romantic, there's a bit of a love-triangle with the damsel in distress, the boy next door and the mysterious stranger, but that is far from the focus of the story. It's really about a girl discovering that she is not controlled by fate, heritage or circumstance, that she can make her own choices and be the person she wants to be. While this book can easily stand alone, I can't wait to read the next installment.

For those of you in the DC area, Megan will be at Hooray for Books in Alexandria, Virginia, for an author panel on February 7 at 6:30 p.m.