Tara Carlisle has begun a new life after leaving her previous career as an ex-army intelligence officer who was a hostage for years.  Now, no one knows more about her than that she is a bookstore owner who also does custom book covers and hunts down rare and unusual books for customers, and Tara is content with that.  Tara has found an ancient magical book for an old customer and while letting a friend look at it, something strange happens.

Garon Rothwell is a virgin sorcerer who was asked to come and pick up the book and generally check things out.  Good thing, too, because just as he arrives, something is going on in the bookstore.  Garon tries to figure out and stop it, but it is obvious that something evil had been present.  Being a virgin sorcerer means that if Garon has sex he will lose all of his powers.  Not usually a problem but Garon is so attracted to Tara that even his usual methods are not working.

Tara and Garon decide to work together to combat the evil that has been unleashed on the small town.  Young college girls are showing up dead with there blood being total drained from them.  Garon discovers clues, which leads him to guess that the killer maybe linked to a four hundred-year-old dead murderer.  Someone released the spirit of Erzse´bet Ba´thory and she is ready to get back to her old ways.  Questions and theories lead Tara and Garon to take a wild chance that might risk more than their future together in order to defeat her.

When a four hundred-year-old serial killer is set free, a Sorcerer and a down to earth ex-army officer join up to stop her.  Treasure Laid Bare involves one of the independent consultant's with Department 57 and a bookstore owner with her own secret background. Tara just wanted to disappear when she finally got back to the US.  Moving to a small college town and opening up a bookstore was her solution.  Garon agreed to help out the head of the US Department 57 by going to pick up a newly discovered magical book.  Ms. Connolly kept the suspense going by not only bringing in a ancient murderer but also in tying to workout a way Tara and Garon could fulfill their desires and not destroy Garon's powers.  I was so involved in wanting to see what would happen next, that I found the last page before I realized just how long I had been reading.  When the plot strings were all tied off, there were several paths that I could not have guessed how they would come together.  Treasure Laid Bare has sensuality and suspense filled threads, which intertwined perfectly for a wonderful story and characters.  I suggest finding a comfortable chair prior to starting this one.