The Palace of Heavenly Pleasure

China 1899. A weakened Dynasty watches helplessly as western powers encroach on its land. But in the hills and forests, driven by drought and hunger, a secret society is preaching rebellion. Unaware of the forces broiling around her, a young English girl arrives in the city of Shishan. Life is picnics and tiger hunts for the foreigners - but for Helen Frances there are other, more dangerous delights. This epic historical adventure is full of breathtaking Brama and peopled by a captivating range of characters. The wicked brothel-keeper Mother Liu ; the idealistic would-be pragmatist, Dr Airton, and his foil, the unscrupulous Mandarin ; the complicated and ruthless Henry Manners ; and Helen Frances herself, the convent girl who wanted the world and found herself in a hell of her own making... For the Boxers are massing secretly in the forests and bills. Soon Helen Frances and the other westerners will find themselves in enormous per And at the end of the road, the Palace of Heavenly Pleasure beckons a brothel overlooking an execution ground, its scented rooms offer safety - at a price few would be prepared to pay...