{"product_id":"2940045008648","title":"Merrick","description":"\u003cp\u003eNew York, 1799: the future looks bright for the charming young book dealer William Lacy, until a raucous night of drinking lands him in shackles. He narrowly avoids the brutal prison system thanks to his mother, who negotiates with the judge to secure him a five year apprenticeship in lieu of a prison sentence. And so William finds himself in a carriage bound for the remote woods upstate, where he'll spend the next years of his life learning a new trade under some old master.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen he first sees Merrick, William thinks he's been dropped into a medieval horror story. Tall and gruff, dressed in a hooded robe that completely conceals his features, and riding a black mare, Merrick might as well be the Grim Reaper.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut appearances are deceiving. A skilled apothecary and healer, Merrick proves to be a generous host and a gentle teacher, and William soon finds himself surprisingly comfortable in his new surroundings. And yet troubling mysteries abound: Why does Merrick never show his face or hands? Why do his movements seem so young and sure beneath his robes? What lies within the cave behind the stone cottage?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSomething unnatural is afoot. But most alarming by far is William's own reaction to his new keeper. For Merrick's strange charms are bewitching enough by day; but by night, in the darkness of the room and the bed they share, William finds himself entirely overwhelmed by desires he never imagined...\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Claire Cray","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47067343388912,"sku":"2940045008648","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940045008648_p0.jpg?v=1763969279","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940045008648","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}