The Heretic Cypher (The Egyptian Stones Book 1) - Murray Bailey

When Egyptologist Alex MacLure’s friend and mentor dies he’s stunned to discover she’s left a message—hidden, encoded, and meant only for him.

With a mysterious artifact and a trail of cryptic symbols, Alex is thrust into a deadly race against time. What begins as a quest to finish her research quickly spirals into a chilling conclusion: her death was no accident. She was murdered for what she discovered.

Now he’s the next target.

Hunted by a ruthless adversary, Alex finds himself swept from the academic halls of London to the heart of Egypt’s oldest sites.

As he races to decode a forgotten truth buried beneath centuries of deception, powerful enemies close in—willing to kill to protect a secret—a revelation so explosive, it could rewrite everything we know about ancient Egypt and religion.

 

What did I think?

What an absolutely cracking start to a new series!  I love Ancient Egyptian history so I jumped at the chance to read an early copy of The Heretic Cypher, the first book in The Egyptian Stones series. It's a breathtaking thrill ride filled with danger and deceit and I couldn't put it down.  

The pacing is rapid as Egyptologist Alex MacLure finds himself in a race against time to decipher clues left by his friend Ellen before she died.  Alex soon realises that the secrets with which Ellen has entrusted him have put him in danger and he doesn't know who he can trust.  Eeeeek! I didn't know who he could trust either and see-sawed back and forth between adding certain characters to my baddie list.

I was completely entranced by the book from the start and the writing is so evocative that when the location switched to Egypt I really felt as if I was there.  Although I already have some knowledge of Ancient Egyptian history, you don't need to have any prior knowledge to enjoy this book but it may whet your appetite to learn more.

Filled with mystery and danger, The Heretic Cypher is an outstanding thriller that had me on the edge of my seat right until the very end.  Move over Indiana Jones, there's a new archaeologist in town!  I can't wait to catch up with Alex MacLure in the next book in the series, The Mark of Eternity, that comes out next year.  Do not miss this very highly recommended read.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Golden Hour - Kate Lord Brown

The Golden Hour is an epic dual timeline story which interweaves glory-seeking desert archaeologists, priceless treasures, Nefertiti’s tomb and the decadent cabarets of WW2 Cairo with restless expat lives in bohemian Beirut. 

 

Archaeologist Lucie Fitzgerald's mother is dying – she's also been lying. As her home, the 'Paris of the East', Beirut, teeters on the brink of war in the ‘70s, Polly Fitzgerald has one last story to tell from her deathbed.  It’s the story of her childhood best friend Juno and their life in 30s Cairo. Lucie travels home to be with her dying mother and discovers the truth about her family, Juno's work and their shared search for the greatest undiscovered tomb of all - Nefertiti's. 

 

From the cities to the deserts, this transporting and moving story of a lost generation transformed by war is a study of great love and sacrifice in all its forms, the perfect novel for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop.

 

What did I think?

I love ancient Egyptian history so The Golden Hour was an absolute must-read for me and it completely exceeded my expectations, absolutely blowing me away with its amazing setting and its intriguing storyline.

With a dual timeline set in Egypt 1939 and Lebanon 1975, Kate Lord Brown sweeps the reader away to distant shores and introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters.  Juno and Polly have been friends since their childhood in England and the pair are reunited as married women in 1939 in Egypt.  Now that Polly is terminally ill, it is time to tell her daughter Lucie about the past and the story is quite emotional and shocking but it is also courageous and empowering.

The characters are so well developed and I adored Juno who refused to take no for an answer as she forced her way into the male-dominated world of archaeology.  It is Juno's dream to discover Nefertiti's tomb and I loved the portrayal of Nefertiti as a strong woman in her own right rather than the wife of Akhenaten and stepmother/mother-in-law of Tutankhamun.  

I thoroughly enjoyed the archaelogical part of the story but it is Juno and Polly's history that kept me completely riveted to the pages.  I was devastated more than once by this moving tale but I also felt uplifted and empowered by the strong female characters.

Poignant and powerful, The Golden Hour is a sweeping story that took my breath away with its exotic setting and rendered me speechless with its stunning plot.  It is giving me goose bumps just thinking about it now and I will be recommending it and reading it many many times.  Unmissable and unputdownable; an easy five stars.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Disturbing the Bones - Andrew Davis and Jeff Biggers

Chicago detective Randall Jenkins has not been back home to the historic Civil Rights hotspot of Cairo, Illinois since the disappearance of his mother, a well-known journalist, several decades ago.

That all changes the day Dr. Molly Moore, an ambitious young archaeologist in the national spotlight for her groundbreaking high-tech discoveries, uncovers a set of strange bones at a huge 12,000-year-old site at a highway construction project.  With retired military general and contractor William Alexander breathing down her neck to cover up the dig, Molly and Randall soon find themselves in the middle of a wild military conspiracy.

The detective and archaeologist’s entwined family mysteries suddenly thrust them into the central position as the only people who can ensure the safety of the ongoing Chicago global peace summit. They must take on the rogue general who views any disarmament agreement as a clear and present danger to the United States. The fate of global peace and the lives of Molly and Randall hang in the balance.

Disturbing the Bones is a rip-roaring techno-thriller in the grand tradition of Michael Crichton, Scott Turow and Frederick Forsyth - a perfect Autumn blockbuster for those cosy nights in.

 

What did I think?

I was drawn to Disturbing the Bones because I have a keen interest in archaeology so I loved the setting; it's not Cairo, Egypt but Cairo, Illinois.  Finding bones at such a site is to be expected, but these bones are not ancient...

I loved Molly and her passion for archaeology, along with her protectiveness about the site, even when it places herself and her team in danger.  Veteran Chicago detective has a vested interest in Molly's find as he thinks the bones are those of his mother.  While all this is going on, America has a new president and she has plans to amend the constitution to which lots of people are opposed.

The plot is more political than I expected but it adds some extra spice to a gripping thriller.  I was incensed when certain things happened at the dig and I couldn't read fast enough to see how it would all play out.  The pacing certainly ramps up in the final third of the book and I couldn't put it down.

Fast-paced and action-packed, Disturbing the Bones is an entertaining and thought-provoking thriller.  I wouldn't be surprised to see it on the big screen at some point, especially as Andrew Davis is a renowned film director.  I enjoyed the book and would definitely be interested in seeing it on the big screen.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Follow the tour:

The Collector's Daughter - Gill Paul

 

An unforgettable discovery

In 1922, Lady Evelyn Herbert’s dreams are realised when she is the first to set foot inside the lost tomb of Tutankhamun for over 3,000 years.

A cursed life

But the months after the discovery are marred by tragedy, when Eve’s father dies suddenly and her family is torn in two. Desperate to put the past behind her, Eve retreats into a private life with her new husband.

A deadly choice

But she is harbouring a dark secret about what really happened in Egypt. And when a young woman comes asking questions years later, the happiness Eve has finally found is threatened once more…

What did I think?

Gill Paul's amazing ability to reach into history and bring her characters to life has made her one of my favourite historical fiction authors.  So I was delighted when I found out that the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb was the subject of her new novel, The Collector's Daughter.

I've always loved Egyptian history and although I've never been to the Valley of the Kings, I have visited Cairo and seen some of the breathtaking treasures discovered in the tomb.  I knew Lady Evelyn was present in 1922, as I remember seeing the famous photo of her stood in between Howard Carter and her father Lord Carnarvon, but I didn't know that she was the first person to enter the tomb.  Considering people at the time thought that there was a curse of the pharaohs, this shows precisely the type of plucky young lady she was.

Although there are flashbacks to 1922 and beyond, the story is mainly set in 1973 when Eve is recovering from yet another stroke with her adoring husband Brograve by her side.  The depiction of a stroke is written so sensitively that it broke my heart in two.  Just the thought of reliving your saddest memories over and over again (as you had forgotten them) brings tears to my eyes.  Eve is determined not to let the stroke beat her and, when she gets a mysterious visitor asking questions about Tutankhamun's tomb, her memories of that time help her recovery.  There's one special memory that she must not share though...

Simply wonderful!  I adored every single page of The Collector's Daughter; Lady Evelyn is a most unexpected heroine and I now have great admiration for her.  Gill Paul's beautiful writing completely swept me away to Egypt and I didn't want to leave!  A poignant story woven around true facts, The Collector's Daughter is a breathtaking novel and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

I chose to read a digital ARC received via NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: A Public Murder - Antoinette Moses

 

'My mother was a very difficult person, Inspector, and not always a very nice one. I can think of any number of people who would want her dead.’

The shocking murder of the archaeologist, Stephanie Michaels in the new Leotakis Gallery in Cambridge is clearly going to be a troublesome high-profile investigation from the outset. But to track down the killer, DI Pam Gregory has to travel to the Greek island of Crete where she finds herself on a journey she never expected, one which will change her life for ever.

What did I think?

Antoinette Moses takes the reader (and DI Pam Gregory) on a trip to Crete in her fabulous crime fiction debut.  You don't need to pack your Factor 50 for this trip but it sure does heat up and reach fever pitch towards the end; I simply couldn't read it fast enough.

When Jen Nichols' cat and then her mother are brutally slain, it certainly tells you something about the human victim when she is more upset about her cat.  Stephanie Michaels seems to have more enemies than friends so DI Pam Gregory and her team definitely have their work cut out for them.  The manner of Stephanie's murder is hugely inventive (although pretty gory) and it's clear from the staging of the scene that this is more than a mindless murder, which means that Jen could also be in danger.

As the police would usually be present at the funeral of their victim, Pam gets permission to attend Stephanie's funeral in Crete.  It's not exactly a holiday but it's a well deserved break for Pam who has a very intriguing and disturbing back story, although not all of her team see it that way.  I really love Pam!  There's a moment when she overhears a member of her team talking about her and she deals with it so professionally; I was absolutely furious and I'm not sure I would have been so restrained if I had been in her shoes.

Antoinette Moses is on to a winner with DI Pam Gregory; I'm an instant fan and I can't wait to read what happens next.  The storyline is incredibly well plotted and it really makes you think about the snowball effect of miscommunication.  Having seen the brutal effect of one-sided communication in a work environment, I've always held on to the belief that there are two sides to every story.  Assumptions don't just make an ass of you or me, they make murderers in this book!

Incredibly well written, thrilling and surprising, A Public Murder is a fantastic start to a new crime fiction series.  I can't wait for more!

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author: Antoinette Moses a life

When I was young, your passport included your profession. I put writer. ‘Why writer?’ asked my then boyfriend, ‘You never write anything.’ ‘But I’m going to,’ I said.

I always knew I was going to be a writer. It just took a while to get going. I kept getting distracted by other things.

 

First distraction: Editing. Journalism

I had to earn my living and so I got jobs in journalism, publishing and as a staff writer for a photographic news agency. I also took time off to travel. That’s when I first lived in Greece which was on and off between 1973 and 1978.

Second distraction: Festivals.

I first helped run a festival in 1970. It was the Oxford Animation Festival, and it was a huge success. It ended with Yellow Submarine and the Beatles singing ‘You’re such a lovely audience’… I was hooked. Both on audiences and festivals.

When I came back to England in 1978, I re-founded the Cambridge Animation Festival, and was its director for six years. I also helped set up the Hiroshima Animation Festival, and worked for the Norfolk and Norwich Festival. In 2013 co-founded the Festival for Literature for Young people (FLY) at the University of East Anglia (UEA). I was its producer until I retired in 2018.

Third distraction: Teaching:

I started writing fulltime in 1994 and had several books published. Then I began writing plays which led to my getting an MA in creative writing at UEA, followed by a PhD on verbatim theatre, and ten years teaching as a lecturer in Creative Writing and Literature. 

And so we come to the writing:

My first published book was a guidebook to Athens, then I wrote a cookbook for dieters and then I wrote a number of short fictions for young people learning English. These were published mostly by Cambridge University Press and have won three Extensive Reading Awards; Jojo's Story' was described by one critic as ‘a classic for all time’. Several became bestsellers. I’ve also published essays and stories. 

I wrote my first play when I was 9. It was an adaptation of The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Graham and I performed it with my father at the family Christmas. (Poor family)

I’ve written a number of plays which have been produced in Norwich and Cambridge and Heidelberg, and have received rehearsed readings in Ipswich, London and Paris. A few have won prizes and awards.

And now it’s crime fiction.

And finally I’ve launched the first Pam Gregory novel, A Public Murder.

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Witch House - Ann Rawson

Who can you trust, if you can't trust yourself?

Alice Hunter, grieving and troubled after a breakdown, stumbles on the body of her friend and trustee, Harry Rook. The police determine he has been ritually murdered and suspicion falls on the vulnerable Alice, who inherited the place known locally as The Witch House from her grandmother, late High Priestess of the local coven.

When the investigations turn up more evidence, and it all seems to point to Alice, even she begins to doubt herself.

Can she find the courage to confront the secrets and lies at the heart of her family and community to uncover the truth, prove her sanity, and clear herself of murder?

What did I think?

Oh wow The Witch House is a book that has it all: murder, mystery, family secrets, the occult, an unreliable narrator and, rather surprisingly, archaeology.  With all of those wonderful ingredients, it feels like The Witch House was written especially for me with many of my interests in mind.

Alice has a breakdown after the death of her grandmother and wakes up in an institution.  When she is released, she returns to the house she has inherited via a trust from her grandmother, much to the chagrin of her mother who was left with another property and a meagre allowance.  Alice doesn't really have any kind of relationship with her mother, having been left in her grandmother's care at a young age.  Alice also inherits her love of archaeology from her grandmother and I absolutely loved this part of the story.

When the trustee is murdered in an apparent pagan ritual, Alice not only discovers the body but becomes the prime suspect.  As more evidence points the finger in Alice's direction, she becomes the sole focus of the police's attentions.  Alice must dig for evidence herself with a little help from her friend and her archaeology professor.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed archaeology playing a part in the story.  It's so unusual to find it in a fiction book and I loved the descriptions of the Roman treasures, fake or otherwise, that were part of Alice's grandmother's collection.  The descriptions are so vivid that I even felt like I was part of the field trip taken by Alice's course. It's so exciting to think that we're walking in the footsteps of the Romans and there could be treasure buried beneath our feet.

Of course, although it is of huge interest to me, archaeology is only a small part of the story.  Alice's grandmother was a High Priestess and Alice has been brought up surrounded by the occult and pagan traditions, with her grandmother choosing to hand down her knowledge to her granddaughter rather than her daughter.  Once you get to know Alice's mother, it's very easy to see why she has been bypassed!

The Witch House is a completely gripping and compelling murder mystery with an unusual occult slant.  Even when you think you have it all worked out, Ann Rawson still has the element of surprise hidden up her sleeve in this outstanding novel.  I was on the edge of my seat towards the end and couldn't read it fast enough.  Ann Rawson is an exceptional storyteller and I'll certainly be looking out for more of her books.  So very different from other crime novels, The Witch House is a very highly recommended read.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Ann Rawson has long been addicted to story. As a child she longed to learn to read because she knew there was magic in those pages, the inky squiggles that turned into words and became images in her head – the stories that could transport her away from the everyday. As she grew older, she divined there was truth in books too. They were a glimpse into other minds. Her reading became the foundation of a deep and abiding interest in what makes people tick – and so she soon became hooked on crime fiction.

Age ten, she wrote to Malcolm Saville, author of the Lone Pine Series, enclosing her first short story. He wrote back and encouraged her to continue writing – and she is heartbroken that the letter is long lost. His book, Lone Pine Five, sparked a lifelong interest in archaeology, as it mentions the Mildenhall Treasure which makes an appearance in The Witch House.

A lapsed witch with enduring pagan tendencies, she lives on the south coast. She still thinks of herself as a Northerner, although she’s been in exile for many years. Almost every day she walks on the Downs or the white cliffs with her husband, plotting her next novel while he designs computer systems.

Ann’s debut novel, A Savage Art was published by Fahrenheit Press in 2016. She has published some short fiction, and in 2019 her memoir piece If… was shortlisted for the Fish Short Memoir Prize.

She is currently completing a memoir and working on her third novel.

You can follow her on Twitter @AE_Rawson (where she doesn’t go far, to be honest), find her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/aerawson/, and her blog is at www.strawintogold.co.uk

Turbulence - Bruce McLaren

A young man’s flight of fancy. A series of sensual encounters. An epic journey that will either lead to destruction, enlightenment, or both.

He loves exotic travel and alluring women, preferably together. Embarking on a lifelong journey across the world, a razor-sharp academic delights in highly sensual encounters with the opposite sex. As each experience deepens his philosophy, he experiments on a quest for something more, suffering several hard landings along the way.

But drink, ambition, and tragedy eventually send him down a bumpy path of self-destruction. If he doesn’t moderate his excesses, his original journey will only go in one direction… into a death spiral. Will a determined man learn from his travels or will his hedonistic vision send him crashing down to earth?

Turbulence is a rich and poignant literary novel. If you like sizzling indulgences, intriguing encounters, and anti-heroes with attitude, then you’ll love Bruce McLaren’s extravagant adventure.

What did I think?

I have to admit that I was drawn to this book because of the author sharing his name with a Formula 1 legend and Turbulence does actually have something in common with today’s McLaren – neither of them are very racy!  Despite being described as an erotic novel, Amsterdam Press took a chance on this book and wow, am I glad that they did.  I can totally see the publisher’s quandary; Turbulence does not fit into any one genre and it is difficult to market a book that doesn’t fit into a particular category.  I’m sure this isn’t an isolated incident and I’m so sad that readers could be missing out on some great books so…how about we create a new genre called ‘Unique’.  See, Turbulence fits perfectly there!

Both the author and the ‘nameless’ main character are both archaeologists, which made me wonder whether this was more of a memoir.  As he travels round the world for work, he inevitably meets a beautiful woman on each flight and, more often than not, they end up meeting for sex at their mutual destination.  Bruce McLaren doesn’t go into details, sparing our blushes and leaving most of it to the reader’s imagination.  Although there are a lot of these encounters, by not dwelling on it, you know that this isn’t the main focus of the story.  We are free to discover some of the amazing cities through the eyes of this philosophical man, which I found both educational and fascinating.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I agreed to read Turbulence, but I certainly didn’t expect something so deep, meaningful and thought-provoking.  It was actually really refreshing to read something from a man’s point of view; they’re not as confident as we think, ladies!  It’s a short read at only 194 pages but I found myself pausing after each chapter to savour the sounds and smells of the city we had just virtually visited through the all-encompassing faultless prose of Bruce McLaren.

So pack your passport and pick up a copy of Turbulence; the book that takes you on a virtual tour of the world as you follow one man’s quest to charm the birds out of the sky.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Finding Sheba (Omar Zagouri Book 1) - H.B. Moore

For centuries, historians have speculated that the Queen of Sheba is nothing more than a seductive legend; but when undercover agent Omar Zagouri finds a tomb in a tunnel beneath Jerusalem, he unearths cryptic clues that may lead to the queen’s final resting place.

This discovery, if authentic, could throw into question the governmental claim to the Holy Land—and prove the Bible false. Wealthy collectors, ruthless archaeologists, and officials from Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel, and Yemen scramble to find and lay claim to the secret site.

Dr. Richard Lyon of Brown University, the world’s leading expert on the queen, is found murdered in his office, setting off a chain of deadly events. Omar desperately works to piece together the puzzle to locate the queen’s burial ground, fearing another assassination will take place. He teams up with one of Lyon’s protégées as well as with his ex-girlfriend, agent Mia Golding, in order to unravel the truth about the queen, expose a murderer, and reveal a timeless story of love, revenge, and sacrifice.

What did I think?

I do have a keen interest in ancient history, particularly Egyptian and Roman, so I always like to read fiction books involving archaeology and hidden treasures.  Finding Sheba definitely fell into that category and H.B. Moore cleverly added a thriller element to it which made it a very quick read as I absolutely raced through the pages.

There are three interconnected stories in the book as all of the characters pair up: Nicaula & Batal, Omar & Mia and Jade & Lucas. Sometimes the balance between historical and romantic fiction felt like it was tending more towards the romance side, but then something unexpected would happen to move the scales towards historical fiction and even thriller.  So all in all, Finding Sheba is quite a mix of genre that works very well. 

Nicaula, the Queen of Sheba, and Batal was always going to be my favourite story.  Nicaula is the queen and is destined to marry King Solomon but her heart lies elsewhere, with Batal, a lowly soldier.  Their story unfolds as the other characters look for her tomb which will confirm the very existence of the Queen of Sheba.

Omar and Mia are ex-lovers but have to work together, following secret orders in the quest for the safe preservation of antiquities.  Mia reminded me of Lara Croft as she can certainly stand up to the men and give them a run for their money.  Omar is clearly still in love with her, but how does Mia really feel?  Mia is hiding some secrets of her own and I had an awful feeling she was using Omar because of his feelings towards her.  I was never sure which side she was really on, which just goes to show the talented suspenseful writing style of H.B. Moore.

Jade is thrust into the mix after her professor, Dr. Lyon, was killed and she had already accepted an internship in Cairo to research her thesis on the Queen of Sheba.  She is paired with Lucas, an attractive French egyptologist who naturally sets her pulse racing.  Lucas is a bit of a mystery and, just like with Mia, I sometimes wondered who he was really working for.

There are some really interesting thoughts on the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon - with neither of their existences having been proven.  Finding Sheba certainly gives food for thought as the effect of proving their non-existence would be felt around the world.   For me, there was a bit too much of the romance side of things as everyone paired off; thankfully there's enough of an espionage kind of feel to the book to help me overlook the racing pulses of attraction.  Of course, I loved the archaeological passages in the book; stumbling across tombs and trying to decipher the poem in the letter Omar received from his grandmother.  The anticipation of a major archaeological find gave me goosebumps throughout and I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't real.

So, whether you believe that the Queen of Sheba existed or not, this is a fascinating fictional read spanning millennia.  I felt like I was transported to ancient times in one moment then thrust into the cut-throat battle for antiquities the next.  I'm really pleased to see that there is another Omar Zagouri book; Omar is a great character and I will certainly be adding the next book to my reading list.

I received this e-book from Booklover Catlady Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

The Secret of the Cathars - Michael Hillier

Philip Sinclair's grandmother leaves him the unusual legacy of a translated journal of his ancient ancestor, who was one of the four Cathar perfecti who escaped from the castle of Montsegur with the 'treasure of the Cathars' strapped to his back - a treasure that has never been found. She also requests that he travels to the Pyrenean fastness of le Bezu where she believes the treasure still lies.

Meanwhile, the famous young French archaeologist Jaqueline Blontard, known as Jackie, arrives at le Bezu with her assistant to prepare excavations as part of her new television series about the Albigensian Crusade. They believe nobody is yet aware of their explorations, but they couldn't be more wrong. Not only does the Roman Catholic Church already know about their plans, but a secret body in Paris has sent someone to watch the excavations and a criminal gang in Marseilles has become involved in the search for the Cathar treasure.

Soon after Philip arrives at le Bezu, Jackie's assistant is killed. Suspicion immediately falls on Philip and the police instruct him to stay in the locality while they investigate, but she does not believe he is responsible. The couple decide to work together to find the secret treasure, but before they unearth the location, news comes from Paris that TV France, who are funding the series, have decided to close down the dig. Philip and Jackie continue to search on their own and, closely followed by the shadowy organisations, they unearth much more than they had expected...

Full of suspense, action and romance, The Secret of the Cathars explores the mystery of the Cathars and the historical events that supposedly took place years ago in a contemporary story. It will appeal to fans of historical mysteries and thrillers such as The Da Vinci Code.

What did I think?

I had never heard of The Cathars before so, in addition to being a fantastic story, this was a really interesting history lesson for me.  It did take me a few chapters to really get into the book as there were a lot of different characters introduced at first, but once I got into the story I couldn’t wait to pick it up each evening for another instalment.

Philip Sinclair inherits his Grandmother’s house when she passes away, along with a letter requesting that he travel to the ancient Cathar stronghold le Bezu to find some scrolls that his ancestor had hidden in the castle.  Philip is also given a diary belonging to his ancestor, Phillipe de Sainte Claire, which his Grandmother has translated into English.  This is his key to finding out where the scrolls have been hidden.

When he gets to France, he finds that a team of archaeologists have started excavating le Bezu and his interest in the site makes him anything but welcome.  Then one of the team is discovered dead on the site and a murder investigation gets underway with Philip being one of the main suspects.  Unbeknown to the police there are lots of other suspects, some even hidden amongst the archaeology team.  Nobody is who they seem.

I've always dreamt of being an archaeologist so I loved the character of Jacqueline Blontard.  Jackie is an archaeologist who has her own series on TV France where viewers can follow her current project.  She has come to le Bezu to excavate the Cathar stronghold and to my absolute delight le Bezu is a real place.  I even found that when I googled it, I had drawn an imaginary picture in my mind that was pretty close to fact – thanks to the vivid scene that was set by Michael Hillier’s amazingly descriptive writing.

This really is an excellent book reminiscent of Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon novels.  There are so many different people trying to get their hands on the treasure that you don't know who to trust.  I even had goosebumps at the ending, and like the Da Vinci Code it certainly made me think 'hmmm, maybe...'.  If you enjoyed the Da Vinci Code, you will enjoy The Secret of The Cathars - it's perhaps not as 'Hollywood' as Dan Brown but it's an absolutely riveting read.

I received this book from Authoright PR in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon