Joe Stanton has barely started college when a family emergency drags him back home. Their house has been robbed, and his father and his father's best friend are in the hospital. That's when Joe's oldest brother finally reveals the family secret—one so unbelievable Joe can hardly accept it.

For forty‑three years, their family and friends have been guarding a life‑sized clockwork Harlequin doll… one that isn't a doll at all, but a magical construct animated by the soul of its creator. Joe always assumed it was just another odd antique cluttering the house. Now he learns the spirit inside was dormant, and the thieves who broke in have stolen the Harlequin and all of its possessions.

The frantic search is interrupted by a phone call—from the Harlequin itself. Awake, confused, and stranded in Phoenix, Arizona, it needs help. Joe is sent to retrieve it and bring it home.

From the moment they meet, the Harlequin sweeps Joe into a nonstop, romantic, sexy, life‑or‑death adventure to recover its magical key and deal with an ancient Mesoamerican sacrificial blade with a will of its own. Joe discovers he is a budding psychic empath, and together they unravel the mystery of the missing key, battle dark entities drawn to the knife's power, and stumble through chaos fueled by the Harlequin's insatiable curiosity and lusty enthusiasm.

As Joe teaches the Harlequin about the modern world, the Harlequin's joy, sorrow, and fierce devotion teach Joe how to loosen up and truly live. But beneath its bright laughter and painted smile lies a darker truth: the Harlequin will not allow anyone to harm those it loves.

When that line is crossed, the playful companion becomes something far more deadly.

The Dark Harlequin.