The Invitation

The world s darkest hour had made her a ghost. Only he can see the light

Rome, 1953: Hal and Stella meet by chance, two outcasts in a city far from home. Or perhaps it was the hand of the gods that night as the Eternal City welcomed the beautiful elite to its rooftops. It s a bright awakening for Hal, he believes he s found the love of his life his Stella, his star.To his dismay, the mysterious girl disappears as quickly as she swept in, and Hal s life as a journalist falls back into its familiar routine. But when he s asked by an Italian Contessa to assist on a trip of a lifetime acting as the reporter on a tremendous yacht, skimming its way along the Italian Riviera towards Cannes film festival, the most famous movie stars and directors of the day as its cargo Hal can t believe his good fortune. Especially when a familiar beauty becomes passenger.Yet not all that glitters is gold, for many secret histories lurk beneath the surface of these Bright Young Things. Stella is bound to a powerful and profoundly dangerous man, and as Hal s obsession grows with every passing wave, they sail closer towards a tragic fate.