Scarlet Rose

Scarlet Rose in her day was a beauty, but now years later she is not the burlesque dancer that most men would remember. She is now selfish, uncaring, and making her daughter take her place and perform on stage as she once did. Fiona is not particularly happy with this idea, but she knows she must do something to bring in some money. Fiona is approached by Charlie, her father, and from then on things will never be the same. A jealous mother in my opinion is trying to ruin the only true happiness her daughter ever had. Forcing her to grow up too quickly, do things against her will, and keeping her away from her father are all things a good mother should not do. Now come the secrets, lies, and murder. Charlie has been killed, there are a number of people that could have committed this crime but who? There is also some money on the line and it seems everyone wants to get their hands on it. Like I said, secrets... there is also another male in the picture that no one ever mentioned to Fiona. A web of deceit woven around a twisted family saga, makes for an exciting and tantalizing read. I love the way Julia Madeleine pulls you into the story, her characters have an air about them that is just dark and gloomy and that really emanates from the pages. Dark secrets and hidden pasts make for a drama well worth reading. Ms. Madeleine's debut novel, Scarlet Rose is definitely one of those books that you should have on your book shelf. 4 Hearts [...]

In her debut novel, Julia Madeleine has assembled an interesting cast of needy characters in a suitably dark setting. Enter the world of Fiona Dalton: where child becomes parent; where manipulation is currency; where nothing is quite what it seems and no-one is really who (or what) they appear to be. One thing is certain: Fiona's stepfather Charlie has been murdered. While who murdered him may seem clear early on (or does it?), unravelling why and how will take longer. What are the secrets in Fiona's life and will her mother ever take responsibility? While I found aspects of this story predictable, I was swept up by Ms Madeleine's descriptive prose. I was engaged, enraged and sometimes outraged by her characters and kept turning the pages wondering exactly how this story would end. Well, the book came to an end but aspects of the story are still active in my imagination. I want more. Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Scarlet Rose is a jaded, washed up stripper with a violent past. As a middle aged divorcee and mother she is forcing her oldest daughter Fiona to hit the stage night after night now that her own broken body is unable dance as it used to. Fiona, though honest and loyal to her family, is only sixteen. One night during a show she is recognized by an older gentleman named Charlie who meets her afterwards and reveals that he is her father. Mortified by what she is being put through he tries to help her out but all of his generous acts backfire. His ex-wife, still enraged by his past alcoholism and infidelity, infuriates the situation. She pushes him away and forbids Fiona ever to see him again. That demand was quickly dismissed. A couple years later Charlie is found dead in a hotel room lying next to a gay prostitute. He had been tortured in particularly gruesome ways and then covered with a sprinkling of rose petals. No one knows who the killer is but with Charlie's checkered past and a fortune without a will, everyone has a motive. A vortex of shady individuals are dredged up by the police investigation. Drug dealers, the cabaret manager and the detectives all confront little Fiona for information, scaring her half to death. In addition she discovers that a second long lost brother was living with Charlie before he died. All of the possible suspects are protecting their precious secrets, all of them suspecting that Fiona already knows too much. Scarlet Rose is the tale of a family torn apart by vanity, desperation, poverty, incest and eventually murder. Never before have the dark corner's of Canada's night life and welfare underbelly been spelled out with such enticing sensitivity. The addition of a character based on real life murderer Dennis Howe deepens the intrigue to a frightening level. Comparable to the Oprah book club novel White Oleander by Janet Fitch this twisted tale of familial deceit it doesn't get any better. As a debut novel one has to marvel at the author's attention to detail and ability to write in such a personal manner. Scarlet Rose is both a tantalizing tale and a dramatic heartbreaker.

Scarlet Rose is human drama at its very best as portrayed through the lives of one dysfunctional family. From a young stripper to her dependent mother and a father who is murder to his out -of -control daughter, we are shown how our actions in life truly impact those around us and how our past is never far behind us. Julia Madeleine creates each character and then delves into their psyches to show us exactly what motivates each person's behavior and this in turn makes us care for the characters and be able to identify with them. Madeleine's writing style is hypnotic and captures the reader from the very first page. Not only is "Scarlet Rose" an absorbing mystery but a lesson for our lives.