From the #1 international bestselling author of The Orchid House—an epic saga of two remarkable women and two love stories spanning the years from 1920s India to modern-day England. Spanning four generations, The Midnight Rose sweeps from the glittering palaces of the great maharajas of India to the majestic stately homes of England, following the extraordinary life of a remarkable girl, Anahita Chaval, from 1911 to the present day . . . In the heyday of the British Raj, eleven-year-old Anahita, from a noble but impov­erished family, forms a lifelong friendship with the headstrong Princess Indira, the privileged daughter of Indian royalty. As the princess’s official companion, Anahita accompanies her friend to England just before the outbreak of WorldWar I. There, she meets young Donald Astbury—reluctant heir to the magnifi­cent, remote Astbury Estate—and his scheming mother. Ninety years later, Rebecca Bradley, a young American film star, has the world at her feet. But when her turbulent relationship with her equally famous boyfriend takes an unexpected turn, she’s relieved that her latest role, playing a 1920s debutante, will take her away from the glare of publicity to a distant cor­ner of the English countryside. Shortly after filming begins at the now-crumbling Astbury Hall, Ari Malik, Anahita’s great-grandson, arrives unexpectedly, on a quest for his family’s past. What he and Rebecca discover begins to unravel the dark secrets that haunt the Astbury dynasty . . . A multilayered, heartbreaking tale filled with unforgettable characters caught in the sweep of history, The Midnight Rose is Lucinda Riley at her most captivating and unforgettable.

"From #1 internationally bestselling author Lucinda Riley, an epic story of family secrets, love, and betrayal set in Imperial India, a magnificent English country house in the 1920s, and that same house today"--

She's the mob boss's daughter. He left everything to build his own empire... for her. When a rival family tries to lay claim on her he will tear the city part and everything in his way to protect her. Growing up I had one friend. One person brave enough to befriend the Mafia Princess. Then one day it all went away I was locked in a tower on my family estate. I know the deal. I'm nothing but a bargaining chip in a contract for the better good of the family. Then I get a taste of freedom. My first day out in town one family tries to kill me and another kidnaps me. Why is this my life? Now I sit in front of that brave little boy who made friends with me all those years ago. Only he's head of his own family now and he says I'm his. The problem? My dad will burn the town down to find me and he says he will burn the town down to keep me. And I just want my freedom.

While out with his friends one night, Yuan Lee sees a girl plummet into a nearby river. As the four friends rush to the river’s edge, Yuan dives into the icy water and pulls the floating, seemingly lifeless soul to the surface. After he unsuccessfully attempts to breathe life into the frail girl, she is loaded into an ambulance. Unfortunately, the experience haunts Yuan for some time. Cora is a shy yet defiant thirteen-year-old who helplessly watches as other girls in her orphanage are adopted. Because of her age, she knows she is running out of time. When she decides to run away, Cora has no idea where her path will lead her. Still, she knows that whatever awaits her has to be better than staying at the orphanage. As her life changes in ways she never imagined, she is confronted with unknown dangers and challenges. Meanwhile, Yuan has become the manager of a health clinic that is dealing with the emergence of a strange illness that is also afflicting him. As fate brings them together once again, now only time will tell if Yuan can find a cure for his sickness and if Cora will find a way to overcome her internal demons, open her heart to new relationships, and begin her life anew.

In the heyday of the British Raj, Anahita becomes Princess Indira's official companion, and accompanies her to England just before the outbreak of the Great War. There, she meets the young Donald Astbury - reluctant heir to a magnificent, estate - and his scheming mother. Eighty years later, Rebecca Bradley, a young American film star, has the world at her feet. Her latest role, playing a 1920s debutante, takes her to the now-crumbling Astbury Hall... 'Atmospheric, heart-rending and multi-layered' GRAZIA on The Girl on the Cliff