The year is 1871, and seventeen year old Leonie Vernier is anxiously waiting for her brother Anatole to join her at the Paris Garnier in France’s beautiful Place de l’Opera for a performance of Wagner’s new work. He does not arrive, and young Leonie finds herself caught up in the famous riots that took place in Paris as a protest at the performance of works by Prussian artists; she is eventually reunited with Anatole outside the Opera House, but not until she has seen terrible acts of violence and bloodshed.
The Sepulchre at Domaine de la Cade
Yet these dramatic scenes are just the beginning of a series of tragic events to befall the Vernier family. After Anatole falls victim to a mugging that may not be quite as random as it seems, he elects to join his sister on a visit to the recently bereaved wife of their uncle, at her isolated country house near Carcassonne. The outwardly picturesque Domaine de la Cade proves to hold its own secrets, including a ruined sepulchre in the grounds which soon makes its influence felt over the Verniers.
Meanwhile, in 2007, American writer Meredith Martin is researching a biography about Debussy, part of which involves a brief stay in Paris and then a visit to the Domaine de la Cade, now a hotel. But Meredith has her own agenda: as well as looking into Debussy’s life, she is also tracing some links to her own past, based only on an old photo and a sheet of piano music.
Alternating Between Past and Present
The novel alternates between the past and the present, following first Leonie’s story and then Meredith’s as the two narratives gradually converge. Mosse is particularly successful in her creation of late nineteenth century France, with her depiction of the seedier side of Paris lurking beneath the sophisticated surface proving especially evocative.
The modern day narrative takes longer to get going and is initially less convincing, although once Meredith meets the mysterious and handsome Hal the plotline picks up pace as she starts to uncover the links between her story and that of the Verniers. The reader is able to guess much of what will happen, but this seems to be deliberate on Mosse’s part as she drops clues throughout the novel that the reader is able to piece together with satisfying results.
Ideal Summer Reading
Just like its best-selling predecessor, Labyrinth, this novel is an ideal summer read – an intelligent page-turner with convincing characters that demonstrates Mosse’s considerable powers as a story-teller.
Sepulchre by Kate Mosse is published in paperback in the UK by Orion (2008), ISBN 978-0-7528-9344-0.
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