Eric Emanuel

Antonio is a seductive, charismatic Sicilian living illegally in New York. He wanders from job to job, lives as a squatter and enjoys a carefree romantic tryst with a wealthy art dealer. When he falls in love with Ellen, a strong-willed radio talk-show host who is set to move to Paris within a few days, he decides he must find a way to keep her from leaving.

Lori Myers has no idea of the terrifying danger she attracts after accepting a gift from her husband Rick to celebrate their marriage. For the beautifully hand-crafted Russian puppet he buys in suburban New York contains a fortune in smuggled jewels from the fabled collection of the last Czar. Unknown to Rick, the Brighton Beach antique store is really a front for the deadly activities of the Russian Mafia. And Uilanov, their sadistic mob leader, wants the priceless treasure back in his possession at all costs. As sinister henchmen track down all recent newlyweds in the area and embark on a bloody killing spree, the couple enter their own private hell when dark secrets erupt from the forgotten mists of Lori's childhood. But fighting her personal demons is just one of the many menacing hazards Lori faces on a perilous journey packed with seat-edged suspense and shocking surprise.