City of Secrets: One Woman's True-life Journey to the Heart of the Grail Legend [Paperback]

Patrice Chaplin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2008

Patrice Chaplin began going to Girona, Spain, at age 15, and with each visit she became more enmeshed in its mysteries. She found a lover, Jose; met many strange characters; and heard dark talk of the legendary Abbé Saunière of Rennes-le-Château. She discovered that many of Girona's townspeople were part of a secret society formed to guard the Abbé's legacy and his knowledge of the Grail. Eventually the society asks Patrice to be the vehicle for revealing their secrets. This riveting account is the result of that request.

Product Details

• Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: Quest Books (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0835608719
• ISBN-13: 978-0835608718
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #239,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Life Grail Mystery, August 3, 2008

By 

Andrew Gough (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: City of Secrets: One Woman's True-life Journey to the Heart of the Grail Legend (Paperback)

Enjoy a mystery? Intrigued by secret societies, rituals, the Holy Grail and other-worldly spiritual quests? Good, then read on.

City of Secrets is a wonderfully written book and a gripping mystery. Chaplin's exciting new research takes place in and around the romantic and mysterious Spanish town of Girona.

Enthusiasts of Dan Brown novels will love it. Why? For a start it's about the Holy Grail - the real Grail, not the one you read about in fiction.

In City of Secrets, Chaplin draws on a lifetime of esoteric experience, research and associations, including friendships with Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí and Umberto Eco, to offer new insights into the mystery Rennes-le-Château (the story of a priest who discovers a heretical secret that threatens the church and produces incredible wealth); the real inspiration to Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code.

Chaplin, a proper novelist, writer and playwright, with dozens of works to her credit, including Albany Park and Siesta, which was made into a film staring Jodi Foster and Isabella Rossellini. Part of the Bohemian scene of the 50's and 60's, she was married to Charlie Chaplin's son and lived in Hollywood.

City of Secrets is a must read for any mystery lover, seeker of esoteric knowledge, or fan of great writing.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous Read!!, March 4, 2009

By 

G. S. Crumley "Seeker of Knowledge" (Moulton, Tx USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: City of Secrets: One Woman's True-life Journey to the Heart of the Grail Legend (Paperback)

I heard an interview given by the author on Coast to Coast AM with Ian Punnett and was hooked on getting the book. What a marvelous story this is. It truly is one that kept me up reading late several nights. The story may seem like just another love story at first, but the events and details will leave you with one of those "Wow" moments by the end of the book. I was interested in the story because it told the other half of a story that did not make great sense when I first began my research into Renne la Chateau France and Father Sonnier. Now, everything makes sense and the mystery is solved in my mind. What is so fascinating is that Patrice Chaplin was in the middle of one of the greatest secrets kept from this world and she finally was made a part of the adventure. Wow! Get it and read it and you will want more from this marvelous writer. The only sad thing is, there will be no more of this story unless...Jose comes back yet again! You will know what I mean once you have read this great book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here, Starts the Journey, September 25, 2009

By 

Koda "Koda" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: City of Secrets: One Woman's True-life Journey to the Heart of the Grail Legend (Paperback)

This is a beautiful book, poetically written, full of rich images
that come alive for the reader.
Partice Chaplin is different from any other Holy Grail researcher on the planet.
That's something!
It is also a love story on many levels.
This book is a "page turner" that's absolutely filled with intrigue.
In her youth and with her adventurous spirit, she
uncovered something that she herself knew nothing of until years later.
What has been revealed to her is amazing and wonderful for us all.
I don't want to give all it away...but City of Secrets is just
the beginning, but a very important beginning...into a powerful
journey indeed. I can't wait for the next book to be released.
I suggest you READ THE BOOK, YOU WILL LOVE IT!