Sepulchre

By: Kate Mosse

Narrated by: Lorelei King

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...

Read by Lorelei King

(p) 2007 Orion Publishing Group©2007 Mosse Associates Ltd

Critic reviews

SEPULCHRE is a compulsive, fantastical, historical yarn. Mosse's skill lies in the precise nature of her storytelling

Ghosts, duels, murders, ill-fated love and conspiracy ... addictively readable

[Mosse is] a powerful storyteller with an abundant imagination

Brilliantly absorbing ... Richly evocative and full of compelling twists and turns

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

The best of the Brits ... Where Mosse really wins is in the writing department. She's the real role model there

Her narrative lyricism, beautifully drawn female characters and deft journey from the past to the present day, are also a cut above

A sure, deft momentum . . . the secrets begin to slip out thick and fast

The latest from the author of bestselling Labyrinth, this adventure will keep you engrossed

Enjoyable Overall

For me, this book was just enjoyable, nothing more. It was easy to get into, fun to listen to, I didn't think it dragged out, though I did find the constant mention of Debussy, when the composer had nothing to do with the story, kind of misleading. Overall, I enjoyed listening to it as something to read when I didn't want to think to hard. A fun book.

The end I found to be rushed and kind of tacked on when the author discovered she might not have known how to close the two stories, but it still worked for me, I just would have liked to relish the ending as much as the opening of the book took to develop.

As for the performance, it was mostly fine, except for one thing: the fake French accents. As an ESL teacher in France I can safely say no one has the French accent made famous in movies like Monty Python and the Holy Grail. So it was enervating to listen to the accent at times and I found myself wishing the performer would stop and read normally.

Though the book was an average book, I gave it four stars because, despite some flaws, I did find it a good, easy read.

Amazingly Brilliant

I must say I was a bit skeptical about listening to this book because of all the reviews that turned me off. They said that Mosse's Labrynth was much better and this one was not all there. I did enjoy her first book and with that assurance (you can't write a bad book after a good one) I did start listening. I must agree that the book is a bit slow in the beginning, but that's only because it's such a long book. Otherwise the book is amazing. It is very sad and moving too, the closure is not one that I would have wanted. Not your usual happily ever after but still.... The narrator also does the naration very well with all the French names and places.

I would recommend this book to someone who likes long but a bit slow moving and very emotional books.

Sepulchre

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend all of Kate Mosse's books to anyone who like an original and brilliant novel.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sepulchre?

One was near the end, where Lenore is in the Sepulchre.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are many, the gunfight and aftermath.

Who was the most memorable character of Sepulchre and why?

Lenore, in the 1890s Her story was slightly the best.

Any additional comments?

I rarely comment or give reviews, as they can be so subjective, but I love the way all her books tie in, Labrynth being the first of the series, neatly ties in with Sepulchre and Citadel, and even Citadel ties in with the Winter Ghosts.
I was sorry to have finished reading the books, I have purchased the actual books, and I got the Audio books to put a different slant on what I had read.
Sepulchre had me get my Tarot cards out for another look, and buy some apps.
I am looking forward to her next book.

Templars, Tarot and Rennes Le Chateau

An ambitious writing project, brilliantly accomplished. The title is apt, referring to both a tomb and also a repository for religious objects.

The novel has the feel of an epic with family and genealogy as one of the main themes. Kate Mosse successfully manages to coherently draw references from such vast fields as classical music and Debussy, Templars and Tarot, Solomon’s temple, and magical correspondences, amongst others. She weaves all this together into a symphony of words and actions, and into dual timelines of past and present.

An intriguing mystery, with a magical-musical essence, the book has depth, and is well-researched and coherently written.

It's not a 'happy' book, but it ends as well as may be expected.

There are one or two repetitious phrases (such as "blue eyes") which I found slightly irritating, but this feels like nit-picking after 20 hours of superb entertainment.

A special word of praise must be included here for the transparent narration by Lorelei King. She does masculine voices very well, and never falters in maintaining an individual voice-persona for each character.

A bit disappointed

A lot of description with very little plot movement which could drag then the end felt cut short in contrast to most of the book. It's not a bad book but left me a bit disappointed.