Black Venus

'A beautiful and gripping novel. A world that will entice you in and keep you reading until the end'--Kate Williams, author ofThe Pleasures of Men 'A wonderful book'--Imogen Robertson, author ofThe Paris Winter 'An engrossing, moving portrait of doomed love and genius'--The Sunday Times 'A vivid portrait of Paris during a turbulent period in its history, as well as an insightful exploration of the often self-destructive nature of genius'--Daily Mail In nineteenth century Paris, the young bohemian Charles Baudelaire roams the streets. Dressed impeccably - thanks to an inheritance that is quickly vanishing - and lost in the decadences of alcohol and opium, he is about to meet one woman destined to change his life forever: the beautiful Haitian cabaret singer, Jeanne Duval. Inspiring Baudelaire's most infamous poems - leading to the banning of his masterwork,Les Fleurs du Mal, and a scandalous public trial for obscenity - Duval becomes Baudelaire's muse, the catalyst for a legacy spanning centuries. Their volatile and passionate affair explodes through the Parisian literary scene but, as the ever-more fractious world catches up with them, the strength of their love will be tested to the end. Unfolding among the bars and salons during revolutionary times,Black Venusis an intoxicating story of love and betrayal in which drugs, absinthe and lust prove the making, and the destruction, of a great poet.