The Artist's Touch

Two men haunted by more than the past.

Painter Stefan Cobbe was homeless and debt-ridden after the death of his wealthy partner, but the worst loss of all was his artistic inspiration. After two years of nothing, he's offered patronage by an eccentric gallery owner and starts to produce again, canvas after canvas. The only problem? He can't remember painting any of them — not one single brushstroke.

Luke Morganstern's reputation as an art-fraud investigator is in tatters. He can't afford to turn down any job, even a lousy one for an anonymous client who sends him after an unidentified forger in a remote cabin in Oregon. When the alleged forger turns out to be Stefan, the man he never stopped loving, Luke's professional ethics are stretched beyond the breaking point.

As the two men take tentative steps toward reconciliation, evidence begins to mount that they're not alone in the woods. Someone — or something — is watching. Something with sinister plans for them both. To escape, Luke must overcome his suspicions and Stefan must trust Luke with his deepest fears. Otherwise they could forfeit their relationship, their sanity — and their lives.

Publisher's note: This is a heavily revised and significantly second edition.