Even Beyond Death by Fiona Melrose

''The storytelling is so addictive. This is sexy, witty, tense and touching - a terrific achievement'' Patrick Gale

''Even Beyond Death is a remarkable achievement - passionate, witty, and moving. A smart, spirited and highly original historical novel, written with tremendous flair, humour and compassion'' Antonia Hodgson

It is 1657, and 24-year-old Marquis Jehan Beaudelaire - Avignon''s most striking and sought-after bachelor - is in desperate need of a wife, an heir, and, most urgently, a new valet. Enter Jonathan Kryk, a vision of breath-taking beauty.

Despite his immense wealth and high status, Jehan finds himself ensnared by the rigid constraints of his era and social rank. His longing for the man who tends to him daily, who dresses and bathes him, remains an impossible dream. Spies lurk everywhere - can he trust anyone in his household, even his own family? The ever-watchful eyes of God and the law put him in immense danger.

Lavish and steamy, mischievous and dramatic, Even Beyond Death is the story of a man in love. Not for him a history of military battles and political allegiance, royalty and lineage. With the aid of his disapproving scribe, Jehan wishes to record a memoire of love and tenderness: a ''catalogue of desire''.

Fiona Melrose''s daring new novel is a passionate and heart-wrenching tale of the sacrifices we make for true love.