Lace is a thing like hope. It is beauty; it is grace. It was never meant to destroy so many lives. The mad passion for forbidden lace has infiltrated France, pulling soldier and courtier into its web. For those who want the best, Flemish lace is the only choice, an exquisite perfection of thread and air. For those who want something they don't have, Flemish lace can buy almost anything-or anyone. For Lisette, lace begins her downfall, and the only way to atone for her sins is to outwit the noble who know demands an impossible length of it. To fail means certain destruction. But for Katharina, lace is her salvation. It is who she is; it is what she does. If she cannot make this stunning tempest of threads, a dreaded fate awaits. A taut, mesmerizing story, The Ruins of Laceexplores the intricate tangle of fleeting beauty, mad obsession, and ephemeral hope. "Stunning...this story is sure to impress."--Publishers Weekly "A gorgeous wrought tale of two women bound to the cruelty and beauty of a forbidden perfection...Iris Anthony has delivered a stunning achievement."--C.W. Gortner, author of The Queen's Vow "Exquisite...this is definitely a keeper to be savored. Whoever Iris Anthony is, she's a gifted writer with what is to be hoped is only the first of many wonderful stories to tell."--Sara Poole, author of Poisonand The Borgias Mistress