Pandora's Box

Ambition, desperation, and redemption abound in this compelling debut novel about a woman forced to sink to the darkest depths of morality...and her quest to fight her way back. Victoria Carlton invested everything into her dream of becoming a singer--her hopes, her time, her life savings--only to fall victim to the harsh realities of the recording industry. Devastated, broke, and unemployed, Victoria is propelled into action when an eviction notice forces her to choose between committing herself--and her young son--to a world of homeless shelters or entering the seedy world of prostitution. Desperate, she puts her ethics aside and applies for a job at Pandora's Box, a downtown Philadelphia brothel that bills itself as a "massage salon." Victoria's lifestyle quickly improves, and the gratification of instant cash replaces her willingness to find a low-paying, legitimate occupation. One day an unlikely customer appears at Pandora's Box. Young, handsome, and well-dressed, he is immediately drawn to Victoria. The two begin a love affair fraught with complications, leaving Victoria plagued by guilt and insecurities until a botched robbery and the murder of a coworker compel her to look beyond the fast money and reclaim her morals--and her life. A steamy tale of the power of money, love, and desperation, Pandora's Box is an enthralling first novel from talented literary newcomer Allison Hobbs.