You want money? You scam it. You want sex? You take it. You want talent? You steal it. That's what conmen do.
Nikolas Strakhan was born to live by his wits. From his father, an emigre Russian count in Paris, he inherits his charm. His talent for music comes from his mother, an upper-crust beauty from Illinois. Young Nikolas resolves to become a great concert pianist - but he isn't quite gifted enough to reach the heights - there's no heart in his playing - and all his wit and ruthlessness aren't enough to overcome the void. So he strikes a bargain. With the devil? Who knows? In London, Nikolas encounters the conman's dream, an heiress who is enthralled by him. In the course of a tempestuous relationship, Priscilla, Countess of Carmarth, becomes variously his lover, his patron, his fiancee and finally - because even Nikolas has his weaknesses - his most lethal opponent.
'The Emigre' is a story of the terrifying consequences of obsession, and the fascination exerted by a man in whom the geometries of power, music and evil fatally align.
