Leo Drake, the Mad Monk of Monkcrest, is notoriously eccentric and unquestionably reclusive.  But he is also a noted antiquities expert, which is why Beatrice Poole has demanded his reluctant assistance. The freethinking authoress of horrid novels, Beatrice is searching for the Forbidden Rings of Aphrodite, a mythic treasure she suspects played a role in her uncles death.  Beatrice finds Leo every bit as fascinating as one of the heroes in her novels--and shes convinced hes the only one who can help her.  But after only five minutes in her company, Leo is sure hes never met a woman more infuriating...and more likely to rescue him from boredom. Yet the alliance may well prove to be the biggest mistake of their lives.  For a villain lurks in London, waiting for the pair to unearth the Forbidden Rings--knowing that when they do, that day will be their last....