Synopses & Reviews
A gothic tale about Victor Hugoand#8217;s long-buried secrets and the power of a love that never dies . . . In 1843, novelist Victor Hugoand#8217;s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, still grieving, Hugo initiated hundreds of sand#233;ances from his home on the Isle of Jersey in order to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesusand#8212;and even the devil himself. Hugoand#8217;s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Or so it has been believed . . .andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Recovering from a great loss, mythologist Jac Land#8217;Etoile thinks that throwing herself into work will distract her from her grief. In the hopes of uncovering a secret about the islandand#8217;s mysterious Celtic roots, she arrives on Jersey and is greeted by ghostly Neolithic monuments, medieval castles and hidden caves. But the man who has invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, hopes sheand#8217;ll help him discover something quite differentand#8212; transcripts of Hugoand#8217;s lost conversations with someone he called the Shadow of the Sepulcher. Central to his heritage, these are the papers his grandfather died trying to find. Neither Jac nor Theo anticipate that the mystery surrounding Victor Hugo will threaten their sanity and put their very lives at stake.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;Seductionandlt;/iandgt; is a historically evocative and atmospheric tale of suspense with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart, written by one of Americaand#8217;s most gifted and imaginative novelists. Awakening a mystery that spans centuries, this multilayered gothic tale brings a time, a place and a cast of desperate characters brilliantly to life.
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Praise for M.J. Rose and The Book of Lost Fragrances
"A compelling page turner...Once you catch a whiff, you will be enchanted." < -="" i="" -=""> - Associated Press - < -="" -="">
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"M.J. Rose is a bold, unflinching writer and her resolute honesty puts her in a class by herself." Laura Lippman
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"Deliciously sensual...Rose imbues her characters with rich internal lives in a complex plot that races to a satisfying finish." < -="" i="" -=""> - Publisher's Weekly - < -="" -=""> - (starred)
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"An absorbing and thrilling ride through the centuries." < -="" i="" -=""> - Library Journal - < -="" -="">
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“A fascinating mystery with many twists and turns…combines intrigue with a touch of history and a lesson in the art of making exotic perfume, a bit of education mixed with the proverbial whodunit.” < -="" i="" -=""> - The Free Lance-Star Review - < -="" -="">
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"The Book of Lost Fragrances resonates with spirit, blending myth with reality, tragedy with triumph, pain with joy. You'll find yourself questioning everything you believe ---- and wanting more." New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry
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“Provocative…a sweeping sense of romance [and] history.” < -="" i="" -=""> - Cleveland Plain Dealer - < -="" -="">
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"The Book of Lost Fragrances by MJ Rose is an amazing novel, an utterly engrossing thriller that weaves together reincarnation, ancient Egypt, international intrigue, and a lost book of fragrances. Elegantly written, with unforgettable characters and flawlessly realized international settings, here is a novel that will keep you up all night—and leave you with powerful feelings of revelation, wonder, and the infinitude of human possibility." < i=""> New York Times <> bestselling author Douglas Preston
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"A simmering brew that mingles the erotic sensuality of Patrick Suskind's Perfume with the dark and timeless obsessions of Rider Haggard's classic, She. M.J. Rose has once again dipped deep into the flask of history and brought those rich aromas of the past back to life through the eyes of Jac L'Etoile, a woman who has mastered the scent of conflict, passion and danger." < i=""> New York Times <> bestselling author Katherine Neville
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"A bewitching brew of history and suspense, as well as a deeply felt love story that transcends time, THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES had me spellbound from the very beginning, taking me from Ancient Egypt to Napoleonic France to the mordern day. This is a book full of delicious surprises, superb research, and brilliantly drawn characters that will live on in your heart long after you turn the last page." Anne Fortier, author of < i=""> Juliet <>
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"Mysterious, haunting, and tragic, Seduction emerges as a suspenseful alchemy of potent ingredients, beautifully blended, that ignites your senses and leaves you aching for more." Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
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andlt;Iandgt;"Seductionandlt;/Iandgt;andnbsp;is an absolute pleasure to readandnbsp;--andnbsp;clever, suspenseful, exciting, mysterious, learned, andandnbsp;engrossing. andnbsp;Some of the best historical fiction I've read in quite some timeandnbsp;and just plain reading fun.andnbsp; M.J. Rose is at the top of her game, and that is saying something."
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andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;"A sophisticated book that plunges you into a sensual, fascinatingandnbsp;world filled with secrets and dreams and ghosts. There's a sweeping, old-world feel to every page, and you'll want to stay here, spellbound, a very long time."
Review
and#8220;Roseand#8217;s growing fan base will probably devour this one.and#8221;
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Praise for Seduction
Mysterious, haunting, and tragic, Seduction emerges as a suspenseful alchemy of potent ingredients, beautifully blended, that ignites your senses and leaves you aching for more. Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Swe
Review
"Mysterious, haunting, and tragic,andnbsp;andlt;Iandgt;Seductionandlt;/Iandgt;andnbsp;emerges as a suspenseful alchemy of potent ingredients, beautifully blended, that ignites your senses and leaves you aching for more."
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andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;"Roseand#8217;s vividandnbsp; imagination and beautiful writing make this a book to savor."
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andlt;xmlandgt;andlt;/xmlandgt;andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;"Well-crafted paranormal novel of suspense. Rose is especially good at recreating Hugo's despair...making his abandonment of rationality all too plausible."andnbsp;andlt;Bandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;
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andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;andlt;xmlandgt;andlt;/xmlandgt;"The sensuality, and the pure and utter dreamlike state with which [Rose] writes is effortless and engaging, producing [a] story thatand#8217;s impossible to leave behind... drawing the reader into the depths of a sensual mystery that they will truly never forget! This deserves a standing ovation!"
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andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;and#8220;Full of well-researched history, the paranormal, and modern intrigue, this atmospheric tale of suspense is fully engrossing to those willing to suspend their disbelief.and#8221;
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andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;"Rose interweaves mythology, the supernatural, psychoanalysis and Evil Incarnate, creating an amazing amalgam of narrative wonder...andnbsp;will haunt you."andnbsp;
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andlt;divandgt;"Mysterious, haunting, and tragic,andnbsp;andlt;Iandgt;Seductionandlt;/Iandgt;andnbsp;emergesas a suspenseful alchemy of potent ingredients, beautifully blended, thatignites your senses and leaves you aching for more."andlt;/divandgt;
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andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;"Readers will be enchanted by M.J. Rose's supernaturally charged novelandnbsp;andlt;Iandgt;Seductionandlt;/Iandgt;, inspired by Victor Hugo's self-imposed exile on the British island of Jersey in the 1850s.andnbsp;andnbsp;Great elements of suspense are present -- a remote, misty island teeming with century-old Celtic ruins, an unreliable narrator who may or may not be going crazy."
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"Rose's vivid imagination and beautiful writing make this a book to savor." RT Top Pick 4 - & - frac12; stars
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"Well-crafted paranormal novel of suspense. Rose is especially good at recreating Hugo's despair...making his abandonment of rationality all too plausible." < -="" i="" -=""> - Publishers Weekly - < -="" -="">
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“Rose’s growing fan base will probably devour this one.” Booklist
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"The sensuality, and the pure and utter dreamlike state with which [Rose] writes is effortless and engaging, producing [a] story that’s impossible to leave behind... drawing the reader into the depths of a sensual mystery that they will truly never forget! This deserves a standing ovation!" < -="" i="" -=""> - Suspense Magazine - < -="" -="">
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“Full of well-researched history, the paranormal, and modern intrigue, this atmospheric tale of suspense is fully engrossing to those willing to suspend their disbelief.” < -="" i="" -=""> - Library Journal - < -="" -=""> - (starred review)
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"Rose interweaves mythology, the supernatural, psychoanalysis and Evil Incarnate, creating an amazing amalgam of narrative wonder... will haunt you." < -="" b="" -=""> - Mystery Lovers Bookshop - < -="" -="">
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"Mysterious, haunting, and tragic, Seduction emerges as a suspenseful alchemy of potent ingredients, beautifully blended, that ignites your senses and leaves you aching for more." Jamie Ford, < i=""> New York Times <> bestselling author of < i=""> Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet <>
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"Seduction is an absolute pleasure to read -- clever, suspenseful, exciting, mysterious, learned, and engrossing. Some of the best historical fiction I've read in quite some time and just plain reading fun. M.J. Rose is at the top of her game, and that is saying something." David Liss, bestselling author of The Twelfth Enchantment
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"A sophisticated book that plunges you into a sensual, fascinating world filled with secrets and dreams and ghosts. There's a sweeping, old-world feel to every page, and you'll want to stay here, spellbound, a very long time." Caroline Turgeon, author of Mermaid and the u
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andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;and#8220;M. J. Rose's andlt;Iandgt;Seductionandlt;/Iandgt; has just about everything a thriller fan could wish for.and#8221;
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"M. J. Rose's Seduction has just about everything a thriller fan could wish for." Philadelphia Inquirer
Synopsis
From the author of The Book of Lost Fragrances comes a haunting novel about a grieving woman who discovers the lost journal of novelist Victor Hugo, awakening a mystery that spans centuries. In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo’s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, Hugo began participating in hundreds of séances to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with the likes of Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus—and even the Devil himself. Hugo’s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it was believed.
Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L’Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey—where Hugo conducted the séances—hoping to uncover a secret about the island’s Celtic roots. But the man who’s invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, has hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different—Hugo’s lost conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher.
What follows is an intricately plotted and atmospheric tale of suspense with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart, by one of America’s most gifted and imaginative novelists.
Synopsis
A gothic tale about Victor Hugo’s long-buried secrets and the power of a love that never dies . . . In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo’s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, still grieving, Hugo initiated hundreds of séances from his home on the Isle of Jersey in order to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus—and even the devil himself. Hugo’s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published.
Or so it has been believed . . .
Recovering from a great loss, mythologist Jac L’Etoile thinks that throwing herself into work will distract her from her grief. In the hopes of uncovering a secret about the island’s mysterious Celtic roots, she arrives on Jersey and is greeted by ghostly Neolithic monuments, medieval castles and hidden caves. But the man who has invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different— transcripts of Hugo’s lost conversations with someone he called the Shadow of the Sepulcher. Central to his heritage, these are the papers his grandfather died trying to find. Neither Jac nor Theo anticipate that the mystery surrounding Victor Hugo will threaten their sanity and put their very lives at stake.
Seduction is a historically evocative and atmospheric tale of suspense with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart, written by one of America’s most gifted and imaginative novelists. Awakening a mystery that spans centuries, this multilayered gothic tale brings a time, a place and a cast of desperate characters brilliantly to life.
About the Author
M.J. Rose grew up in New York City exploring the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum and the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Parkandmdash;and reading her motherandrsquo;s favorite books before she was allowed. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the co-president and founding board member of International Thriller Writers, and the founder of the first marketing company for authors, AuthorBuzz.com. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. Visit her online at MJRose.com.