Love Strikes a Devil

Beautiful young Charisa Templeton always loved her father's old friend the Marquis of Mawdelyn - and as a child she roamed Mawdelyn Priory with his nephew Vincent, whom she adored. Saddened to hear that the Marquis has died - she's glad his heir, Vincent, will be coming home from his army posting in India to claim his title. But then Fate strikes another blow with the news that Vincent has been killed! Reluctantly, Charisa and her father prepare to welcome the next in line - half-French Gervais Mawde. But as soon as he arrives they sense something is wrong. Penniless, he immediately sets about selling off the family treasures and dismissing loyal servants, even the Vicar! Worse still he forces his attentions on a shy and unworldly Charisa. But just as she begins to despair, her prayers are answered and Vincent appears - alive, but in terrible danger. Someone is trying to kill him and now they realise who! None other than Gervais who is not only a murderer but also a Devil worshipper, planning to use innocent Charisa in his satanic Black Mass. The question is, can Love conquer the forces of darkness?

Barbara Cartland was the world's most prolific novelist who wrote an amazing 723 books in her lifetime, of which no less than 644 were romantic novels with worldwide sales of over 1 billion copies and her books were translated into 36 different languages. As well as romantic novels, she wrote historical biographies, 6 autobiographies, theatrical plays and books of advice on life, love, vitamins and cookery. She wrote her first book at the age of 21 and it was called Jigsaw. It became an immediate bestseller and sold 100,000 copies in hardback in England and all over Europe in translation. Between the ages of 77 and 97 she increased her output and wrote an incredible 400 romances as the demand for her romances was so strong all over the world. She wrote her last book at the age of 97 and it was entitled perhaps prophetically The Way to Heaven. Her books have always been immensely popular in the United States where in 1976 her current books were at numbers 1 & 2 in the B. Dalton bestsellers list, a feat never achieved before or since by any author. Barbara Cartland became a legend in her own lifetime and will be best remembered for her wonderful romantic novels so loved by her millions of readers throughout the world, who have always collected her books to read again and again, especially when they feel miserable or depressed. Her books will always be treasured for their moral message, her pure and innocent heroines, her handsome and dashing heroes, her blissful happy endings and above all for her belief that the power of love is more important than anything else in everyone's life.