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The Lantern

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Meeting Dom was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to me. When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom in Switzerland, their whirlwind relationship leads them to Les Genévriers, an abandoned house set among the fragrant lavender fields of the South of France. Each enchanting day delivers happy discoveries: hidden chambers, secret vaults, a beautiful wrought-iron lantern. Deeply in love and surrounded by music, books, and the heady summer scents of the French countryside, Eve has never felt more alive. But with autumn's arrival the days begin to cool, and so, too, does Dom. Though Eve knows he bears the emotional scars of a failed marriage--one he refuses to talk about--his silence arouses suspicion and uncertainty. The more reticent Dom is to explain, the more Eve becomes obsessed with finding answers--and with unraveling the mystery of his absent, beautiful ex-wife, Rachel. Like its owner, Les Genévriers is also changing. Bright, warm rooms have turned cold and uninviting; shadows now fall unexpectedly; and Eve senses a presence moving through the garden. Is it a ghost from the past or a manifestation of her current troubles with Dom? Can she trust Dom, or could her life be in danger? Eve does not know that Les Genévriers has been haunted before. Bénédicte Lincel, the house's former owner, thrived as a young girl within the rich elements of the landscape: the violets hidden in the woodland, the warm wind through the almond trees. She knew the bitter taste of heartbreak and tragedy--long-buried family secrets and evil deeds that, once unearthed, will hold shocking and family secrets and evil deeds that, once unearthed, will hold shocking and unexpected consequences for Eve.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 13, 2011
      Dom, an erudite English musician, and an aspiring translator he calls "Eve" meet in a maze, fall in love, and decamp to Les Genévriers (the Junipers), a hamlet in Provence, at the start of Lawrenson's extravagant new novel. Eve is immediately intrigued by the misnamed French house, constructed in 1887; "there is only one low-spreading juniper, hardly noble enough to warrant such recognition." Les Genévriers is rich with antiques and hidden rooms, and also seems to be haunted. Eve is distressed when Dom refuses to talk about his ex-wife, who has gone missing, and becomes increasingly determined to investigate the disappearance. As summer slides into fall, a new narrative gracefully emerges with the discovery of audio recordings made by Bénédicte Lincel, a resident of Les Genévriers in the early 20th century. The recordings reveal a woman haunted by past tragedies and further deepen the mystery of the house. Lawrenson expertly manages suspense and intrigue throughout and breathes great, detailed life into her lush French countryside setting, making one wonder why this, her sixth novel, is the first to be published in the U.S.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Les GenÄvriers, a family manor house in Provence, has held tight to its secrets. Only after it has fallen into disrepair does the house reveal clues to two women: BÄnÄdicte, who was born and died there, and Eve, whose lover, Dom, later buys the property. Gerrianne Raphael's convincing French accent and slightly gravelly voice add authenticity to the elderly BÄnÄdicte's memories of love and betrayal. Kristine Ryan narrates Eve's chapters in a younger, less-accented voice that's tinged with Eve's growing suspicions about the fate of Dom's ex-wife. Although separated by time, BÄnÄdicte's and Eve's lives become unexpectedly tangled as the dark mysteries of the house surface and past inhabitants demand to be heard. Both Raphael and Ryan skillfully build the tension as the two stories converge. C.B.L. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

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  • English

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