A Countess Betrayed — Jade Alters

Darius is a policeman investigating rumours of black magic at the Red Lantern brothel, and the alluring Countess Ravenna is the madam of the house. Despite his determination to prove magic is a hoax, Darius falls under Ravenna's spell. Is he just the latest victim of her feminine wiles or are there more sinister forces at work? Caught in the throes of passion in a time when love is bought, bartered and sold, how can Darius tell if Ravenna's affections are more than just a ploy?When a customer drops dead one night, the rumours of the brothel's curse spreads like wildfire. With his reputation and her livelihood on the line, will this unlikely duo find the culprit before the Red Lantern's flames set fire to the brothel and their budding romance? Poised against the mystical backdrop of Storyville, New Orleans in 1907, in the nation's only legal red-light district, A Countess Betrayed is a pre-quel novel to the Reapers of Crescent City series but can be read completely as a stand-alone story. Part-mystery, part-suspense but as always, full of steamy romance. Intended for mature readers.