Doug Booth

Pariah In the Mirror Doug Booth

When Murielle peers into her mirror she doesn't see a consummate liar, a cheat or a whore. She sees perfection. **Kenneth Stonewall is wealthy and powerful. He's morbidly fearful of growing old, incurably addicted to young women, able to afford and lure the most beautiful, each one in awe of her new and glamorous lifestyle until the first of each July when she and the lock on his Garden District door are replaced. Murielle de la Sorbonne is a fourth-year college student; she is also the most beautiful woman in Louisiana who's learned the value of a flawless and desired body as part of her collegiate achievement, eager for the career and life she deserves. She's pragmatic and she's intelligent, her perfect body as requisite to her future as her honours degree. Seeing her one day on campus, Stonewall is at once enthralled by her beauty and purity. No price is too great, Murielle completely captivated by his elegance, charm and sophistication. One year later she's anxious to graduate and become his wife, stunned when he abruptly discards her and calls her a whore. Her life's second worst mistake is an empty threat, a spurned young woman's rant. Stonewall's is not. He is entirely capable of destroying her life, leaving Murielle to ponder whether she could actually kill a man.