Past and present collide when a family secret endangers a reluctant heiress bent on solving the mystery behind her grandmother's past. A dark thriller with intrigue, danger and unforgettable characters. "A genealogist's dream that weaves the mysterious threads of a tragic past with an emotional present. ... Even as I was doing other things my mind kept going back to the characters. ... I've already recommended Asylum to my mother." In 1899 while her father travels abroad, twelve-year-old Maggie Delito, daughter of the wealthy Northeast industrialist, unwittingly witnesses a shocking scandal. She's dragged from her family's estate and locked in an asylum to ensure her silence. Beneath the noted asylum's polish of respectability, a wicked villainy hides in dank shadows--and Maggie fears she will be its next victim. Seventy five years later, Laura Delito inherits more than assets when her prestigious family's mysterious past comes knocking. After sacrificing an independent career on the brink of success, she assumes control of Delito's failing jewelry business while daring to expose its ghosts--a strange old woman, cryptic messages, backroom betrayals, and a rare antique key that might unlock the truth. As she pursues clues from the Northeast to North Africa, she fails to see danger looming close to home. A Book Club favorite with Study Guide. Set in periods of transition with the rise and fall of manufacturing, changing mores and folkways, and struggles for equal rights, Asylum prompts discussion of social and economic issues that remain relevant today. IPNE Book Awards Winner: Mystery Fiction. Readers' Favorite (R) 5-Star Review. ALA Book Club Central Pick: Historical Fiction.