The Collector of Dying Breaths

A Novel of Suspense (Reincarnationist, Book 6)

By: M. J. Rose

Narrated by: Natalie Ross, Phil Gigante

Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

From the internationally best-selling author, a lush and imaginative novel that crisscrosses time as passion and obsessions collide

Florence, Italy - 1533:

An orphan named René le Florentin is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. Traveling with the young duchessina from Italy to France, René brings with him a cache of secret documents from the monastery where he was trained: recipes for exotic fragrances and potent medicines - and a formula for an alchemic process said to have the potential to reanimate the dead.

In France, René becomes not only the greatest perfumer in the country, but also the most dangerous, creating deadly poisons for his Queen to use against her rivals.

Paris, France - The Present:

A renowned mythologist, Jac L’Etoile - trying to recover from personal heartache by throwing herself into her work - learns of the 16th-century perfumer who may have been working on an elixir that would unlock the secret to immortality. She becomes obsessed with René le Florentin’s work - particularly when she discovers the dying breaths he had collected during his lifetime.

Jac’s efforts put her in the path of her estranged lover, Griffin North, a linguist who has already begun translating René le Florentin’s mysterious formula. Together they confront an eccentric heiress in possession of a world-class art collection, a woman who has her own dark purpose for the elixir…for which she believes the ends will justify her deadly means.

This mesmerizing gothic tale zigzags from the violent days of Catherine de Medici’s court to 21st-century France. Fiery and lush, set against deep, wild forests and dimly lit chateaus, The Collector of Dying Breaths illuminates the true path to immortality: the legacies we leave behind.

©2014 Melisse Shapiro (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

MJ Rose Success!

Loved the storyline. Excellent writing. Narration has a lot of sort of trailing off that made it hard to hear at times but otherwise it was a perfect experience.

Count Dracula

No offense Mr Gigante but every male part in this book sounded like Count Dracula. while the story was fair, why the heavy accent for all the male parts? Ms Ross provided a good reading and I would have given her four stars if hers was the only voice.

Great til the End

This book was filled with interesting characters, vivid historical details, and original plot twists. I truly enjoyed the story, and loved the audible performances, too. My only complaint is that the ending seemed trite and contrived. Not quite as bad as "It was all a dream," but close. Still well worth reading, but I almost wish I'd just quit a chapter from the end so the moral of the story didn't ruin it for me.