The Madeline Chronicles

The Madeline Chronicles: Escape to Paris tells the harrowing and provocative story of a stunning sixteen-year-old girl desperate to flee her oppressive home. Raised under the authoritarian religious doctrine of her mother, who forces her into constant prayer to atone for her "favourable looks," Madeline decides to use her beauty as a ticket to freedom. With the secret blessing of her dying father and the financial aid of her brothers, she absconds to the bustling, fetid streets of 18th-century Paris.

However, the "city of light" is far grittier than she imagined. After a chance encounter with the stern but calculating Monique (Madame DeVille), Madeline finds herself residing in a luxurious townhouse that serves as a high-end establishment for entertaining gentlemen. Under Monique's sophisticated and often explicit tutelage, Madeline transitions from a naive provincial to a sought-after "hostess," learning to navigate a world of powerful men, including the enamored schoolteacher Jacob, the obsessive politician Gaston, and the dashing but aging Ramone.

As Madeline explores her awakening sexuality and gains influence, she is unknowingly shadowed by Rubin, a scarred ex-soldier hired to be her silent protector in a city rife with brigands. While she becomes the target of the decadent and predatory interests of the wealthy Caroline, the narrative is haunted by a grim mystery set in 1796 involving a voiceless woman held in the hellish, rat-infested Chateau d'Estelle. D.M. McWhinnie's debut volume is a tale of survival, transformation, and the dangerous price of beauty.