About the Book

Raymond de Villiers is a wealthy English aristocrat with a young adoring wife. His first wife, the beautiful, captivating Charlotte, died in mysterious circumstances. Their old, historic country house, Lanverndel, on the Devon coast is suddenly destroyed by fire. Lanverndel and Charlotte’s shadow haunt the de Villiers constantly as dramatic events in their lives take them through the French Riviera, the outbreak of the Second World War, the Battle of the Atlantic, and back to wartime England. But the real essence of the novel, narrated very personally, is the steadfast love that the young Mrs de Villiers has for her much older husband, even after she has heard from him his chilling confession; and her sensitive transformation from a young, callow girl to a strong, self-reliant woman, to save herself and the man she loves from the shadows of evil.

About the Author

Veena S Rao is a retired IAS officer with a distinguished career in Karnataka and Government of India. She is a postgraduate in Political Science from the University of Jammu and Kashmir, and Development Studies from the University of Cambridge, UK. She is an expert on development issues and governance, particularly malnutrition, and writes extensively for national and international publications. She works closely with the Government of Karnataka, the World Bank, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, UK. Charlotte’s End is her first work of fiction. She lives in Bangalore, India, and can be contacted through e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.