In darkness, late at night, a woman returns to her hotel to discover her usual maid has been replaced by a stranger. What begins as an icy exchange, born of weariness, becomes within minutes one of the most extraordinary encounters of her life. It will take her on a journey deep into her past and towards the fateful assignation that already awaits her on the other side of the night. Set amid the elegance and sophistication of the Belle Epoque, and the Gothic splendour of late Victorian England, 'The Hours Before' is a story of drama, mystery and romance, revealing a hidden world of vice and malevolence - but also a pathway of transformation and knowledge.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Set in the era of the European Belle Epoque - just at the close of the 19th century.Historical fiction blends with magical realism, plus themes of adventure and questing.Further topics include the popular press and London's Fleet Street, and hidden forces of wealth, vice and manipulation.Noir and atmospheric historical locations, including Gothic castles and mountains and the remote countryside of Scotland and central Europe.Conflicts: forgiveness versus revenge; faith versus cynicism; order versus disorder, and genuine mystical experience versus the temptations of cult worship.Urban settings include London, Vienna, Paris and various cities in Germany. "