In her accomplished literary debut, psychotherapist turned novelist Fogle masterfully explores the Spanish Inquisition and the barbaric behavior perpetrated by those ostensibly doing the work of their Lord. In 1487, during the throes of the Spanish Inquisition, Jews are denounced as heretics by the Catholic Church and burned at the stake. Jewish navigator Joachim Déulocresca is doing his best to help them escape when he meets Catholic heiress Aularia Bautista during a public trial and execution of Barcelona’s Jewish citizens. Soon, privileged Aularia (who inadvertently fed incriminating information to a corrupt priest) is working with Joachim in his efforts to ferry the damned to safety. But in so doing, both could lose their own lives—and Aularia’s parents are hiding a bombshell secret that could prove deadly for them all.

Vivid with immersive historic detail, plotted with memorable twists and turns, and told in arresting, irresistible prose (“My priest and teacher is an assassin and seducer”), Fogle’s expertly wrought tale will entrance readers of historical fiction and anyone interested in stories of lovers swept up in times of terror. Looming over Joachim and Aularia’s budding romance is the barbarity of the Spanish Inquisition (Fogle doesn’t skimp on details of the more disturbing aspects, including torture), and readers will root for a happy ending as the pair face potential tragedy. Danger abounds, friends and foes alike will fall, and hearts will break, though Joachim and Aularia passionately believe in their ability to affect change. In Fogle’s hands their plight is gripping and emotionally resonant.

The author’s background as a psychotherapist contributes to her masterful handling of characters, both their actions and their inner lives, and she brings clear-eyed life to her milieu, capturing 15th century Barcelona in descriptive prose steeped in impeccable research. This story of tyranny and love will keep its audience turning the pages–and unlikely to forget its ending.

Publisher’s Weekly, Booklife Reviews