Golden Lies

Every family has secrets. Some refuse to stay buried.

When Riley McAllister’s grandmother takes a dusty bronze dragon from her attic to a television antiques show, she’s hoping for a little extra cash. Instead, she discovers a priceless Chinese treasure that vanished fifty years ago in a mysterious fire—and someone has been waiting all this time for it to resurface.

Paige Hathaway has spent her life trying to be more than the heir to San Francisco’s most famous antiques emporium. But when the dragon is stolen and her father is left fighting for his life after a brutal attack, Paige discovers that the House of Hathaway was built on a lie. To uncover the truth, she must join forces with the one man who doesn't trust her: Riley, whose family may have paid the price for hers.

From the mansions of Pacific Heights to the lantern-lit alleys of Chinatown, they follow a trail of clues into the history of three families—bound by a long-ago promise, torn apart by an unforgivable betrayal. Every answer raises a more dangerous question. And as the attraction between Riley and Paige grows, so does the danger of uncovering a truth someone will do anything to keep hidden.

From #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy comes a novel about three remarkable families—the fifty-year-old promise that once bound them together, the fiery betrayal that tore them apart—and the ancient bronze dragon that could destroy their future... For readers who love juicy, complex, standalone novels with romance, mystery, and family drama!

PRAISE FOR GOLDEN LIES

"Freethy’s smooth prose, spirited storytelling and engaging characters, are sure to send readers on a treasure hunt for the author’s backlist books." — Publishers Weekly

"A priceless Chinese artifact, an ancient curse, and a decades-old betrayal set the stage for this gripping story, which unites the grandchildren from three diverse, yet strangely linked, families and sweeps them from the rarified world of high-priced antiques to the fragrant alleys of San Francisco’s Chinatown on an urgent quest to unravel the past’s secrets. But exposing the past could mean destroying the future, and there are those who will resort to violence to keep those secrets hidden. Multidimensional characters at all levels, realistic and sometimes funny dialog, and a well-constructed plot that Freethy unwraps with such consummate skill that the conclusion is at once surprising and totally logical result in a rich and compelling tale." — Library Journal