The Book of Lost Fragrances
A Novel of Suspense
A Secret Worth Dying For.
Jac L’Etoile is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind when her brother, coheir to their father’s storied French perfumery, makes an earthshattering discovery in the family archives, and then suddenly goes missing— leaving a dead body in his wake. In Paris to investigate his disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend of the House of L’Etoile. If there is an ancient perfume developed in Cleopatra’s time that holds the power to unlock memories of past lives, possessing it is not only worth living for . . . it’s worth killing for, too.
Fusing history, passion and suspense in an intoxicating web that moves from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris, this marvelous, spellbinding novel comes to life as richly as our most wildly imagined dreams.
Jac L’Etoile is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind when her brother, coheir to their father’s storied French perfumery, makes an earthshattering discovery in the family archives, and then suddenly goes missing— leaving a dead body in his wake. In Paris to investigate his disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend of the House of L’Etoile. If there is an ancient perfume developed in Cleopatra’s time that holds the power to unlock memories of past lives, possessing it is not only worth living for . . . it’s worth killing for, too.
Fusing history, passion and suspense in an intoxicating web that moves from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris, this marvelous, spellbinding novel comes to life as richly as our most wildly imagined dreams.
Choose a format:
Buy from us:
- Atria Books |
- 384 pages |
- ISBN 9781451621495 |
- March 2012
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Praise
“Deliciously sensual...Rose imbues her characters with rich internal lives in a complex plot that races to a satisfying finish.”
– Publisher's Weekly (starred)
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“Deliciously sensual...Rose imbues her characters with rich internal lives in a complex plot that races to a satisfying finish.”– Publisher's Weekly (starred)
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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 again dipped into the deep 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.”– New York Times bestselling author Katherine Neville
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“The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. 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.”– New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston
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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 Juliet
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“The Book of Lost Fragrances is one of those rare novels that reminds us of the beauty and enormous complexity of the human soul. The way Rose uses perfume's evocative power is both intelligent and intriguing - triggering her characters memories of their current lives as well as memories of their past lives. This novel is a marvelous discovery.”– Javier Sierra
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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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“Clever, with beguiling characters; a wonderful mixture of suspense and pace and good old fashioned storytelling, and the research never gets in the way of the plot.”– Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth, Sepulchre, and The Winter Ghosts
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“An absorbing and thrilling ride through the centuries.”– Library Journal on The Book of Lost Fragrances
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“M. J. Rose’s multi-stranded plot skillfully hits all the right buttons, blending exotic settings, romance, and paranormal fantasy with political intrigue into a colorful story that would be right at home as a Hollywood thriller.”– New York Journal of Books
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“Provocative…a sweeping sense of romance [and] history.”– Cleveland Plain Dealer
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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.”– The Free Lance-Star Review
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“Compelling... suspenseful tale. Once you catch a whiff, you will be enchanted.”– Associated Press
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“Rose has entered another realm and written what is bound to be one of this year's best books.”– Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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“Entertaining... working history, the science of scents and a mystery together with the aspects of a perfect thriller to create a perfect read.”– Crimespree Magazine
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“A time-defying journey filled with passion and danger...A kaleidoscope of memorable characters and exotic locales. Elements of both thriller and paranormal romance dominate, and the insights Rose offers on the methods and science of perfumery throughout history add a fascinating top note.”– Shelf-Awareness.com
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“Enthralling. A supple and elegant thriller. There is simply no more daring writer than MJ Rose, and her blisteringly original [novel] shows why.”– Providence Journal
Read an Excerpt
Prologue
China Tells Living Buddhas To Obtain Permission
Before They Reincarnate
Beijing
April 4, 2007
Tibet’s living Buddhas have been banned from reincarnation without permission from China’s atheist leaders. The ban is included in new rules intended to assert Beijing’s authority over Tibet’s restive and deeply Buddhist people.
For the first time China has given the Government the power to ensure that no new living Buddha can be identified, sounding a possible death knell to a mystical system that dates back at least as far as the 12th century.
China already... see more
One
ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT, 1799
Giles L’Etoile was a master of scent, not a thief. He had never stolen anything but one woman’s heart, and she’d always said she’d given that willingly. But on this chilly Egyptian evening, as he descended the rickety ladder into the ancient tomb, each tentative footstep brought him closer to criminality.
Preceding L’Etoile had been an explorer, an engineer, an architect, an artist, a cartographer, and, of course, the general himself—all the savants from Napoléon’s army of intellectuals and scientists now stealing into a sacred... see more
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On the Road with Atria’s Great Mystery Bus Tour
Behind the scenes on the Atria Great Mystery Bus Tour with bestselling Atria authors John Connolly, William Kent Krueger, Liza Marklund & M.J. Rose. Find out more at http://www.atriainternationalmysteries.com/bustour
On the Road with Atria’s Great Mystery Bus Tour
On the Road with Atria’s Great Mystery Bus Tour
