Phantom (Cat and Mouse, #1) by H.D. Carlton

dark romance • stalker romance • mafia hero • forbidden attraction • gothic romance

The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Cat and Mouse Duet, Phantom takes readers back to 1944 and the haunting halls of Parsons Manor, where a lonely married woman catches the attention of a mysterious stranger lurking outside her window. What begins as fear and fascination soon becomes a dangerous romance with a man who is far more than the phantom he appears to be.

Genevieve thought she had surrendered her heart and soul to her husband when she promised to love him forever. But life inside Parsons Manor has become increasingly frightening, and the man she once vowed to love is no longer the one she fears losing.

Then her phantom appears.

Ronaldo is a criminal, a mobster, and a dangerous man with secrets of his own. He watches Genevieve from the shadows, drawn to the woman trapped inside a life she no longer wants. As their attraction grows, Ronaldo becomes an unexpected source of comfort and protection, offering Genevieve a glimpse of something she thought she had lost forever.

Spice Level:

• 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4/5

The Vibe

Phantom is a dark, gothic historical romance steeped in obsession, danger, forbidden desire, and the eerie atmosphere of Parsons Manor. Set against the backdrop of the 1940s, the story combines old-world romance with the darker edges of mafia and stalker romance.

Genevieve is a woman struggling beneath the weight of an unhappy marriage, while Ronaldo is the mysterious man watching from the shadows. Their relationship develops through secrecy, fascination, danger, and an attraction neither of them can easily resist.

For readers familiar with the Cat and Mouse Duet, Phantom provides the story behind the journal entries surrounding Genevieve and Ronaldo. It can also be read as a standalone prequel, but readers should expect an intentionally dark romance with mature themes and significant content warnings.

Tropes & Tags

• Dark romance
• Historical romance
• Stalker romance
• Mafia romance
• Forbidden romance
• Possessive hero
• Morally gray hero
• Dangerous hero
• Married heroine
• Unhappy marriage
• Forbidden attraction
• Age gap
• Gothic romance
• Haunted setting
• Paranormal elements
• Psychological tension
• Suspense
• Obsession
• Dark themes
• Secrets and deception
• 1940s setting
• Explicit romance
• Prequel

Books in Series (In Order)

• Phantom 
• Haunting Adeline