Book description
Eugenie de Boncoeur is growing up in Paris, unaware that her guardian
has contracted her to marry the sinister spymaster known as 'le Fantome'
when she turns sixteen. She finds herself falling for the handsome
lawyer, Guy Deschamps, but there is little time for romance; France is
descending into chaos as the Revolution takes hold. Soon Eugenie is
fleeing for her life. Her brother Armand has become involved in a plot
to save the King from the guillotine, the mob is searching for
aristocrats, and le Fantome, the pale assassin, is on their trail -
desperate for revenge. Patricia Elliott was born in London, but grew
up in Europe and the Far East. A voracious reader since childhood (where
she had the resources of ten different school libraries), she also made
up ghost stories to scare her friends! As an adult, she worked in
publishing in London and in a children's bookshop in New York. She now
teaches a course in children's literature at an adult education college,
and is writing further novels. She lives in Barnes with her husband and
two sons. Her first book, The Ice Boy, won the Fidler Award for a first
novel, was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award and the West Sussex
award. Her second novel, Murkmere, was longlisted for the Guardian
Children's Fiction Award.
