Master of Shadows by Janet Lorimer

Ariel's life had been a modern fairy tale, but her father's baffling disappearance brought it all to a crashing end. She meets the enigmatic Louvel one night, but never sees his face -- even after accepting employment at his magnificent estate. When it becomes imperative to solve the mystery of what happened to her father, Louvel appears to be helping her . . . but can Ariel trust a man who lives in the shadows?

Belief is a powerful charm. . .

Never go into the woods at night, especially if the moon is full.

The old woman's warning, hissed years ago in Ariel's ear, came back that night to haunt her.

They say there's a beast that lives in those woods...a beast that walks and talks like a man.

An ominous shadow blocked the pale light and a powerful hand clamped down on her shoulder.

"Do not move. Do not turn around."

The voice was male, deep and harsh in the silence. At the sound of it, Ariel uttered a startled cry.

"Ariel McPherson . . ."

A guttural whisper in the dark, but he'd made her name sound like velvet being stroked.

Ariel's life had been a modern fairy tale, but her father's baffling disappearance brought it all to a crashing end. She meets the enigmatic Louvel one night, but never sees his face -- even after accepting employment at his magnificent estate. When it becomes imperative to solve the mystery of what happened to her father, Louvel appears to be helping her . . . but can Ariel trust a man who lives in the shadows?

Janet Lorimer began writing professionally over thirty years ago. She's had three children's novels published by Scholastic, Inc.; a children's picture book published by Franklin Watts; and numerous articles and short stories published in children's and adult magazines such as Highlights for Children, Eldritch Tales, Woman's World, Analog, 2 AM Publications, and Bestways Magazine. She is the author of more than forty High Interest/Low Reading Level books published by Fearon Education, Lake Education, and Saddleback Publishing, Inc.

She taught writing classes at Leeward Community College in Hawaii, and worked for two years as an associate editor and staff writer for Hawaii Parent Newsmagazine.

She and her husband now live in Arizona. Master of Shadows is her first novel for adults.