philip a. troy

Evelyn Goodman was a small-town girl raised by a loving family… until they fell on hard times. Buried in debt and barely scraping by, the Goodman family needed a miracle. Never once did they suspect that it would come in the form of an elderly woman looking to employ their daughter. More than qualified for the job and in need of money, there was no way Evelyn could pass on the offer and soon found herself in the idyllic town of Chesterdale… the Lair of the Bookkeeper.
Soon, she discovers the truth behind the old cliché of “too good to be true” as she meets both the elusive and abrasive Bookkeeper himself. But the arrogant, old-world aristocrat and his harsh nature pale in comparison to the secrets hidden in Chesterdale. Secrets Evelyn soon begins to uncover.
Unwilling to have his dark and sordid past turned on its head by this newcomer, the Bookkeeper is determined to be rid of her… until she becomes the target of forces far less desirable than himself. Soon, he realizes that despite his aversion to the world, the Bookkeeper will have to risk everything—his secrets, his past, and even his shot at redemption—if he is going to keep Evelyn safe.
As the stakes rise and lines are drawn, Evelyn finds herself caught in the crossfire between the disparate remnants of an ancient family and a madman determined to seize power at any cost. And as the fire rises, one question continues to circulate through her mind: can the man she was sent to teach and help truly break free of all that binds him? Or will he live to see the repeat of past tragedies in modern times?