In the Garden of Sin-Louisa Burton

In the Garden of Sin
Louisa Burton
Bantam, Jul 14 2009, $15.00
ISBN: 9780553385311

“The English Courtesan”. 1626 was the year that changed Englishwoman Hannah Leeds. She heard courtesans sponsored by Domenico Vittori lived pampered lives in a castle and she wants that. She meets with him and he introduces her to Mademoiselle Elle. They like what they see in the wannabe mistress especially her beauty, her charm and her intelligence. If Hannah can move past her virginal innocence to sensual seducer, her next stop is the Castle of the Hidden Grotto in France. There she will become courtesan to legends and myths in a place where all sexual fantasy occurs including converting an English virgin into a legendary courtesan for the ages.

“Hunger”. In modern day Greenwich Village, Anton Turek watches from the shadow as Galiana Solsa picks up Oxy at the bar. In the alley he orders her to get on her knees, but the mortal does not understand who he is messing with as she easily brings him to his knees and takes what she wants from him. Anton wants Galiana, but the vampire knows to get his Goddess he must somehow prove her equal. He feeds his hunger for her in the Castle of the Hidden Grotto where seduction often means death for one or both parties; in this case he feels his undead death will be worth the price of having her.

Fans of Louisa Burton’s erotic fantasy saga through the ages will relish the return to the mysterious Castle of the Hidden Grotto (see HOUSE OF DARK DELIGHT and WHISPERS OF THE FLESH) with two delightfully decadent novellas. The two erotic entries share much in common in spite of the several centuries gap between when they occur. Each tale is well written as fans will believe in the sexual escapades of the immortals with mortals. Although newcomers might have some early adaptation issues due to no initial background (a consistent problem), the audience will enjoy another heated spin IN THE GARDEN OF SIN.

Harriet Klausner