Sepulchre (Kate Mosse novel)

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Sepulchre is a novel by the English author Kate Mosse. The story is based in two time periods, 1891 and present day (2007), and follows two female protagonists.

[edit] Plot summary

In 1891, Leonie Vernier is a young girl living in Paris until an invitation from a widowed Aunt prompts a journey to the Carcassonne region with her brother, Anatole. Unknown to her, her brother and aunt have been carrying on an affair, and he is being pursued by a jealous former lover of the woman. For a while, they live an idyllic lifestyle in the country. However, Anatole's love rival discovers where they are staying and sets out to exact his revenge.

In the present day, an American, Meredith Martin, is in France to research the life of Claude Debussy for a biography she is writing. She is also trying to find out more about her biological mother. During the visit, she uncovers information that links her lineage to that of Leonie Vernier and discovers the truth about the events in Carcassonne during that period in history.

Most of the action takes place in the Domaine de la Cade, a stately home in Rennes-les-Bains, which in 1891 is owned by Leonie's uncle and in Meredith's timeline has been repurposed as an upmarket hotel.

The story features heavy reference to the occult and tarot readings, and the stories of Leonie and Meredith are brought together by a series of visions that are related to the tarot and a small church, known as a Sepulchre in the grounds of the Domaine de la Cade.

Several of the major characters in Mosse's novel Labyrinth make cameo appearances in Sepulchre