A dark and thrilling tale of Victorian addiction, vengeance and self-discovery, perfect for fans of Sarah Waters, Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist and Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent.
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Love. Desire. Vengeance. A deadly alchemy.

Edinburgh, 1869: Newly married, Rebecca longs for the life of a well-heeled gentlewoman. Her husband Alexander, a respected pharmacist, is eager to join pioneering fellow inventors in the history books. But beneath his ordered exterior, Rebecca is horrified to find a world of dark secrets. As she struggles with his infidelity and strange sexual desires, Alexander tries to pacify her so-called hysteria with his magical new wonder-drug, heroin…

As Rebecca’s forced dependence takes her further from herself, Alexander’s desire to profit from his creation leads him along a path that blurs science, passion and death. Soon, they both learn that addiction, obsession and vengeance make for a deadly alchemy…

‘With shades of Sarah Waters, independence and vengeance make for a winning tale.’ Stylist