The stunning new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Perfume Collector. 'Beautifully written... wonderfully absorbing with a clever twist in the tale' Isabel Wolff, author of Ghostwritten Mae Fanning seizes on a job at a tiny, exclusive Boston antiques shop as the fresh start she desperately needs. It opens a window to new world, one peopled with rare and rich characters. But the day that enigmatic socialite Diana van der Laar walks in, Mae's hidden past returns. As a moth to a flame, Mae is unable to resist Diana's heady, seductive glamour and glittering life. Yet, like the rare objects in the shop, very little is what it appears - Diana included. Moving from Jazz-Age New York to Boston in the grip of the Great Depression, Rare Objects is a rich and gripping story of what it means to reach for a braver, bolder life.
Kathleen Tessaro Book order
This author is celebrated for her novels that delve into themes of innocence, betrayal, and the quest for identity. Her style is marked by profound psychological depth and a remarkable ability to portray complex relationships between characters. The settings of her works often transport readers to evocative locales, lending her narratives a distinctive atmosphere and intrigue. Readers appreciate her masterful storytelling, which skillfully intertwines historical elements with contemporary human dilemmas.







- 2016
- 2014
Can the secrets of one woman's past change another woman's future? A gifted artist, Cate has come to London from New York to escape her recent past. Working for her aunt's auction house, she is sent down to Devon to value the contents of Endsleigh House, the once gracious but now crumbling estate of a former socialite. There, hidden in the back of a dusty bookshelf, Cate discovers an old shoebox. Inside is a strange assortment of objects: an exquisite pair of dancing shoes circa 1930; a diamond brooch; a photograph of a young sailor; a dance card; and a pearl and emerald Tiffanys bracelet. Intrigued by her find, Cate sets out to solve the mystery of the box, becoming immersed in the story of its owner, Baby Blythe. Bright, beautiful, and reckless, Baby was the most famous debutante of her generation . . . and the most dangerous. As the clues begin to reveal a shocking tale of destructive, addictive love, Cate finds herself being drawn deeper into Baby's tragic life story—a story that will force Cate to face some dark truths about her own.
- 2013
A secret history of scent, memory and desire from the Sunday Times bestselling author of ELEGANCE and THE DEBUTANTE.
- 2010
Working for her aunt's auction house, artist Cate is sent to Devon to appraise the contents of Endsleigh, the grand Georgian home of a former socialite. Cate quickly becomes immersed in solving the mystery of Baby Blythe, the most famous debutante of her generation.
- 2008
The flirt
- 456 pages
- 16 hours of reading
Out-of-work actor Hughie Venables-Smythe has found a profitable new outlet for his talents. He is hired, often by distraught husbands, to flirt with wives who are feeling neglected in their relationships. His current seductive campaign is focused on Olivia, the spouse of a narcissistic billionaire, and the lady is responding quite nicely to the cream-colored missives he secretly leaves for her. So nicely, in fact, that Hughie decides to employ a similar technique and shockingly similar messages in his pursuit of his own hearts desire: the aloof and charming lingerie designer, Leticia. But the canny, professional flirts brazen anonymous intrusions into the lives of two women are about to set in motion a series of remarkable events that no one could have anticipated setting the stage for shocking revelations about love, friendship, and domestic bliss.
- 2005
Innocence
- 400 pages
- 14 hours of reading
"It's a long way from Eden, Ohio to London. Eighteen-year-old Evie leaves her hometown for the first time to come to England and follow her dream of being an actress. With fellow students Imogene and Robbie, she studies drama - and life. Her friendship with the bohemian, outrageous Robbie illuminates her new world. Together, anything is possible. But then life, and love - in the shape of struggling rock musician Jake Albery - intervene, and everything changes. Fifteen years later, Evie is a single mother, teaching drama and living with the eccentric Bunny in her house of artistic lodgers. Robbie's gone. And Evie is trying to forget the post and dreams they once shared. Then an old friendship comes to haunt her - literally. And suddenly everything is possible again ..
- 2003
Elegance
- 390 pages
- 14 hours of reading
An unhappily married woman transforms into a lady of poise and sophistication with the help of an old manual on elegance in this witty, "London Times" bestselling Cinderella story.

