About this item
A haunting and luminous novelthat explores the dark secrets lurking beneath the stunning natural beauty of a dying timber town. A mysterious beachcomber appears one day on the coastal bluffs near the small town of Carverville, a place whose best days are long behind it. Who is he, and why has he returned after nearly forty years?Carverville's prodigal son, James, serendipitously finds work at a gentrified motel, but his homecoming soon takes a sinister turn when he and a local teenager make a gruesome discovery on the beach. It forces him to reckon with the ghosts of his past -- and the dangers of the present. Rumors, distrust, and conspiracies spread among the townsfolk, all of them seemingly trapped in their claustrophobic and isolated world. But is there something more sinister at work here than the mere fear of outsiders?In The Gardener of Eden, David Downie weaves an intricate and compelling narrative of redemption, revenge, justice, and love?and the price of secrecy -- as a community grapples with its tortured past and frightening future.
About the Author
The secrets of why Paris is the most romantic city on Earth lie in the Romantic Age, and that's what my new book, A Passion for Paris: Romanticism and Romance in the City of Light, is about (spring 2015) . See you on book tour? Visit my website for details.
A native San Franciscan, I've called Paris home since 1986. I live and work in the Marais, and travel widely in France and Italy.
My travel, food, wine and arts features have appeared in over 50 leading print media worldwide. I've been contributing editor, European arts editor or Paris correspondent for half a dozen magazines.
I've also authored two apps: David Downie's Paris Timeline and David Downie's Food Wine Rome.
Starting with the most recent book first, Paris to the Pyrenees: A Skeptic Pilgrim Walks the Way of Saint James, was a bestseller, reaching #5 of all e-books. The little book that could is Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light, with striking black-and-white photography by Alison Harris (www.alisonharris.com) , now into its 10th printing.
Paris City of Night, a classic thriller set in Paris, is out in e-book format. My three critically acclaimed Terroir Guides--Food Wine Italian Riviera & Genoa, Rome, and Burgundy, plus Quiet Corners of Rome, include stunning photography by Alison Harris.
For bite-sized portions, try the dozen anthologies I've contributed to: the latest is An Innocent Abroad (edited by Don George) .
After nearly 30 years I still love living in Paris, Burgundy and Italy, and sharing my world with readers and private tour guests. Please visit www.davidddownie.com and my Paris, Paris Tours site: www.parisparistours.com. All the best, David
