• National Library of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Publisher of Nominated Edition
Sceptre ISBN 0340823895

An exquisitely written novel of innocence corrupted from the award-winning author of The Rice Mother.

THE BALINESE TWINS - Beautiful and exotic, they exchange an island paradise for the shabby squalor of London, and innocence for corruption.

THE SICILIAN- Ricky Delgado strikes a devil's bargain with a blood goddess: 'Build my temple and bring me the souls of damaged people, and you will see what rewards I give.'

THE COURTESAN - Elizabeth makes her living from men's desire. With a flick of the switch in her head, she feels nothing: no pain, no hate, no sorrow, no joy.

THE ARTIST - Anis takes to painting as an outlet for his rage. His artist's eye knows his subjects before they know themselves, and he paints them all, a gallery of broken people.

Can they escape the deadly web of decadence and sin?

Rani Manicka was born and educated in Malaysia. An economics graduate, she now divides her time between Malaysia and the UK. Her first novel, The Rice Mother, won the South East Asia and South Pacific Region 2003 Commonwealth Writers' Prize, has been translated into 17 languages, and gained international acclaim.