Bad Juliet will hold you in its grip from its opening pages, combining the pacing and twists of a thriller with the compelling characterizations and masterful prose of a writer at the top of his form. Giles Blunt captures the world of an early twentieth-century sanitarium with the vividness and nuance of Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain, all the while confronting us with issues just as pressing today as they were a hundred years ago.

Bad Juliet peels back the placid surface of a sanitarium town in early twentieth-century upstate New York to reveal tragedy, lies, and passionate love among characters who are much more complicated than they seem at first glance. With the enigmatic woman at its centre and its many unexpected turns, this is Giles Blunt at his narrative best.

A powerful, engrossing, and beautifully written tale of a struggling poet, a famous Broadway playwright, and the beautiful young woman - a survivor of the Lusitania suffering from tuberculosis - whom both men love. Set in a sanitarium among the awe-inspiring lakes and forests of upstate New York, Bad Juliet shadows the trio as the men vie for the affections of a woman whose dark past and horrifying secrets threaten them all. Bad Juliet is a romance, a period piece, and a mystery, not to mention a North American answer to Thomas Mann's Magic Mountain.

In this charming novel, Giles Blunt uses the magic of his narrative talents to tantalize us about the true character of his appealing heroine, accused of lies, fraud, and loose morals. Best read by lamplight and a blazing fire.

There's a Nick Carraway feel to the narration, and the thrust of the narrative is well-paced and engaging. Much like the ending in The Great Gatsby, one is left wondering about the illusive nature of fulfillment and genuine happiness for Blunt's characters.