Since his wife's death, world-famous author Ford Newcombe has lived a solitary life, void of creativity -- or love. Then Jackie Maxwell tears down the walls of his isolated world with her sassy wit and fierce intelligence. Ford's heart is touched by his vivacious assistant -- and his imagination sparked by her knowledge of a strange story that drives them to a small North Carolina town brimming with secrets. There, they will trace the mystery of a woman said to have loved the devil himself...and discover not only the truth about a crime from the past -- but a passion that holds the promise of a new life together. <P> Jude Deveraux, whose "enchanting and extraordinary" <I>(Chicago Daily Herald)</I> novels have enthralled millions, creates two of her most memorable characters in this powerful bestseller.