Faithfully weaving in details from Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Valerie Martin introduces an original and captivating character:  Mary Reilly, Jekyll's dutiful and intelligent housemaid.  Mary is a survivor, scarred but strong, familiar with evil, yet capable of devotion and love.  As a bond grows between Mary and her tortured employer, she is sent on errands to unsavory districts of London and entrusted with secrets she would rather not know.