Life is often traveled on a winding road. More times than not, it's an uphill battle. Sarah Logan is traveling such a road when she's hired by the mysterious, enigmatic Gatien Defalle to become the companion to his 13-year-old daughter, May. May isn't like the typical teenager; she's an old soul in a young body -- talented, bright and very closed off. She longs for her mother, who died the year before. Some say it was suicide and others whisper of murder and things most foul. Sarah has passed the test of May's Aunt Helene, who originally hires her. Almost from the beginning, strange things happen. Fire, secrets and break-ins occur and no one seems surprised. Couples are not what they really seem, and removing the masks only uncovers new ones to contemplate. Yet it's Gatien she's most drawn to, and soon Sarah finds herself swept up in more mystery and intrigue than perhaps her young heart can handle.

Did Gatien, who used to be a renowned Grand Prix driver, murder his wife? What are the secrets held in the library that no one but Gatien can peruse? Why is Gatien's family at odds with itself, and why does it seem that the more she tries to unravel the mystery, the more entangled Sarah becomes? Even as she begins to bring the withdrawn May out of her cocoon to blossom into the beautiful young woman she's meant to be, the strings of intrigue tighten around Sarah's own throat. Will she be able to deny the love that's growing for a man who may have murdered his wife, or will she be hung by that very same love? Amidst fire and death, anguish and sorrow, Sarah's only hope is her strength of character and her heart. Yet it may be too late to save any of them in the end.

Ms. Tyrrel has created a true modern-day Gothic romance. It has all the nuances of the Gothic tales of old with a fresh, introspective present-day twist. The reader holds hands with Sarah as she navigates the ever-twisting path of life and love on Winding Hill Road. All of her characters are intriguing and complex, and it's fascinating to uncover not only the mysteries, but the people themselves. It's entertaining, innovative and lingers in the mind like literary ghosts waiting to be discovered. A definite winner, it's hard to put down.