Sepulchre [Hardcover]

Kate Mosse (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 1, 2008

1891. Seventeen-year-old Leonie Vernier and her brother abandon Paris for the sanctuary of their aunt's isolated country house near Carcassonne, the Domaine de la Cade. But in the nearby woods, Leonie stumbles across a ruined sepulchre - and a timeless mystery whose traces are written in blood. 2007. Meredith Martin arrives at the Domaine de la Cade as part of her research for a biography she's writing. But Meredith is also seeking the key to her own complex legacy and soon becomes immersed in the story of a tragic love, a missing girl, a unique deck of tarot cards, an unquiet soul and the strange events of one cataclysmic night more than a century ago...

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Contrivance, cliché and expository overkill overwhelm bestseller Mosse's tale concerning a rare tarot deck that helps link the lives of two women living eras apart. In 1891, Parisian teenager Léonie Vernier and her brother visit their young aunt at an estate in southern France. After finding a startling account of her late uncle's pursuit of the occult, Léonie scours the property for the tarot cards and Visigoth tomb he describes, unaware that more tangible peril in the form of a murderous stalker is seeking to destroy her loved ones. Present-day biographer Meredith Martin is in France finishing a book and tracing her ancestry when she sees a reproduction of the same tarot, which bears her likeness. She investigates the connection when she, too, arrives at the estate, now a hotel in which a new battle between good and evil rages. Mosse (Labyrinth) conveys so much unnecessary information through so many static scenes of talk, reading and interior monologue that the book's momentum stalls for good soon after its striking opening. Mosse's fans will hope for a return to form next time. (Apr.)
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Review

'A sure, deft momentum...the secrets begin to slip out thick and fast' -- DAILY EXPRESS

'Better than Labyrinth!' -- SIMON MAYO BOOK CLUB ON RADIO 5 LIVE

'Gripping' -- HEAT

'Mosse's gifts for historical fiction are considerable ... Mosse does what good popular historical novelists do best - make the past enticingly otherworldly, while also claiming it as our own.' -- Emma Hagestadt, INDEPENDENT

'The best of the Brits...a ghoul thriller...Where Mosse really wins is in the writing department. She's the real role model there.' -- THE MIRROR

'The latest from the the author of best-selling Labyrinth, this adventure will keep you engrossed.' -- EVE

'Try this if you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code but fancy something a bit more meaty.' -- NEWS OF THE WORLD

'ghosts, duels, murders, ill-fated love and conspiracy...addictively readable' -- Eithne Farry, DAILY MAIL

'no doubt many readers are eagerly awaiting the the pleasures of her next novel.' -- THE GUARDIAN

'undeniably gripping' -- THELONDONPAPER --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399154671
• ISBN-13: 978-0399154676
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #238,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kate Mosse is the author of the # 1 International bestseller LABYRINTH, and a presenter for BBC television and radio in London. Born in 1961, she grew up in West Sussex, England, she read English at Oxford and holds honorary MAs from Oxford and Chichester Universities. A publisher for seven years, she is the Co-Founder & Honorary Director of the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Orange Award for New Writers, the prestigious annual literary awards celebrating international writing in English by women. She is also a television and radio presenter for the BBC in London, fronting such series as 'The Readers & Writers Roadshow' and 'Open Book.'

Previous books include Becoming a Mother and The House: Behind the Scenes at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, as well as two novels Eskimo Kissing and Crucifix Lane. LABYRINTH, her international # 1 bestseller, was published in the UK in July 2005. A Sunday Times #1 bestseller in hardback and paperback, and a New York Times Top 10 bestseller, it was the over all best selling book in the UK for 2006 and won 'Best Read of the Year' in the British Book Awards. It is also shortlisted for the IMPAC international literary award, for a CWA Steel Dagger and has been shortlisted for 'Author of the Year' for the 2007 British Book Awards. LABYRINTH is published in 40 countries.

A former Executive Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Kate is a member of the Royal Society of Arts, a Board member of the international sponsorship organisation Arts & Business, Kate was named International Woman of Achievement in 2000 for her contribution to the Arts.

Kate lives with her husband and two teenage children in Sussex, England, and Carcassonne, southwest France.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 79 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Second Effort April 8, 2008

By Robert Abidor

Format:Hardcover

I purchased Sepulchre from Amazon UK so got to read it well before the US release. I too disagree with some of the harsh criticism that Mosse's book received. Part of the joy of reading period historical fiction is becoming part of the atmosphere. You can't do that in a few pages. You need to set the scene, create interest in characters and situations and come to understand where the author is taking you.

I found Sepulchre to be more similar to The Historian than to Labyrinth. A fairly complex plot over several time periods and places requires a depth of material. I found the descriptions of Paris excellent and in fact purchased Zola's Debacle after reading one of the character's discussion of the work. The action in the Carcasonne region is compelling.

I did not find the characters at all one dimensional. All express feelings and reactions that are well within the expected range. The story line is always interesting. Perhaps the reader needs some familiarity with French fiction of the period, like Victor Hugo's works to fully understand what Mosse is attempting. Also, the subject area should be very familiar to readers of recent fiction as it has been used in the DaVinci Code, The Templars and several other stories. The rich historical venue is a perfect setting for Sepulchre.

I found Mosse's second novel to be a fascinating addition to understanding the Church's purge of the Cathars and the treasures and threats that area possesses. Summer is coming. Sit on your favorite chair, take a cold drink and be prepared to be totally entertained by Sepulchre. I was.

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Intelligent Reader's Mystery April 7, 2008

By Avidreader

Format:Hardcover

I disagree with the other reviews completely. I thought this novel was superior to Labyrinth which I also enjoyed. This story moves seamlessly back and forth between the 1800s and the current time with two intertwined stories and heroines. The female characters are strong and interesting. Ms. Mosse took her time with the details which make this ghost story almost seem possible! Would love to see this one as a movie. The imagery and locale would be delightful to see on the big screen. Not a single boring moment in this entire novel! I'll be recommending this one to all my reading friends.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Worthy read April 25, 2008

By S. Ling

Format:Hardcover

I am in total agreement with the reviewer who wrote the following: "I found Sepulchre to be more similar to The Historian than to Labyrinth. A fairly complex plot over several time periods and places requires a depth of material." Anyone who enjoyed the novel "The Historian" will enjoy this book, and vice versa. The books have the same feel to them. Anyone who does not enjoy heavy description of location, atmosphere and ambiance will get bogged down, I agree... but for those of us who expect the author to paint word pictures so as to draw us into the narrative will not be disappointed. You can see, hear and feel where the characters are in this book. I look forward to more books by Ms. Mosse.