The Watcher in the Shadows

A mysterious toymaker who lives as a recluse in an old mansion, surrounded by the magical beings he has created... A sickly wife locked away in a hidden room... An enigma involving strange lights that shine out from the small island on which an old, disused lighthouse stands... A shadowy creature that hides deep in the woods... These are the elements of a mystery will bind 14-year-old Irene to Ismael during one magical summer spent in Blue Bay when her mother takes a job as a housekeeper for the enigmatic toymaker, Lazarus Jann. A novel of mystery, intrigue and romance from the author of THE PRINCE OF MIST and THE SHADOW OF THE WIND. Review ''Exciting...Plenty of thrills and chills.'' ( Publishers Weekly ) ''...A clever plot, sympathetic characters, and a richly detailed 1930s setting; a haunted, melancholy tone with an air of nostalgia and an atmosphere of menace; and a beautiful translation that provides the evocative languagethat serves as the glue holding it all together.'' ( Horn Book ) About the Author Carlos Ruiz Zafón is the author of six novels, including the New York Times bestseller The Prince of Mist and the international phenomena The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game . His work has been published in more than fifty countries and honored with numerous awards. He divides his time between Barcelona, Spain, and Los Angeles, California. A Mysterious Toymaker Who Lives As A Recluse In An Old Mansion, Surrounded By The Mechanical Beings He Has Created... An Enigma Surrounding Strange Lights That Shine Through The Mists That Envelop The Small Island On Which The Old Lighthouse Stands... A Shadowy Creature That Hides Deep In The Woods... These Are The Elements Of A Mystery That Bind 14-year-old Irene To Ismael During One Magical Summer Spent In The Blue Bay. Irene's Mother Has Taken A Job As A Housekeeper For The Toymaker, Lazarus, But His House Contains More Secrets Than Irene And Ishmael Have Bargained For. "When fourteen-year-old Irene Sauvelle moves with her family to Cape House on the coast of Normandy, she's immediately taken by the beauty of the place--its expansive cliffs, coasts, and harbors. There, she meets a local boy named Ishmael, and the two soon fall in love. But a dark mystery is about to unfold, involving a reclusive toymaker who lives in a gigantic mansion filled with mechanical beings and shadows of the past"--