Daunted by the singular tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house. But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades. While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.
The title piece in this smoothly written collection, the first from the bestselling mystery novelist, is a novella. Judith Chase is an American historian working in London and enjoying the courtship of Sir Stephen Hallett, due to become England's next prime minister. Beset by vague fears. Judith consults Dr. Patel, famous for treating Anna Anderson, who claimed she was Anastasia of the Russian royal family. "Retrogressed" by Patel, Judith finds herself in the 17th century, during the English Civil War and Restoration, (of the monarchy), reliving horrors that the author exploits in full measure.
If enough people knew about this book to put it on the best seller list, I have no doubt it would become the phenomenon that is The DeVinci Code. That's how good this book is. The book is built upon that much debunked but won't die theory that one or more of the Romanov children escaped the basement in Ekateranberg where the rest of the Imperial family was murdered. Because the escape of at least one child, Anastasia, is a well known urban myth, the plot will feel familiar to those who don't know a whole lot about the former Imperial rulers of Russia.
