New York Times Bestseller: The first novel in the Cathedral of Starbridge saga about the history of the Church of England—and those who serve it.

1937. At the request of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Reverend Dr. Charles Ashworth goes on an undercover mission to investigate the possibility of scandalous behavior by the Bishop of Starbridge, Dr. Alex Jardine. A powerful critic of the Church of England's hardline position on divorce, Jardine presents a mystery which threatens to unmask the secrets of Ashworth's own private life. Meanwhile, Ashworth himself is struggling to understand the baffling triangle formed by the dynamic bishop, his pretty but featherbrained wife, and his wife's alluring companion, Miss Lyle Christie.

Love and frustrations, desperate longings and the failure to resist them; dark realities behind glittering images—Ashworth must confront his own desires and recall past sins that threaten to consume him, body and soul.

"Bold and exciting." — Los Angeles Times

"Passionately eloquent. . . . [A] tale of God, sex, love, self-analysis and forgiveness . . . the dialogue throughout this book is brilliantly crisp." — The Philadelphia Inquirer

"A terrific story. . . . Glittering Images is driven by passion, emotional and spiritual, and its spiritual antagonists are brilliant characters." — San Jose Mercury News